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Aleppo airstrikes resume as Russia announces major Syria offensive Aleppo airstrikes resume as Russia announces major Syria offensive
(about 2 hours later)
Airstrikes have hit rebel-held neighbourhoods in eastern Aleppo for the first time in weeks, as Russia announced the start of a major operation in the Syrian provinces of Idlib and Homs involving its aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. Russia has launched a fierce bombardment on rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo after several weeks of relative calm, as it announced that its aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov would anchor a major operation in Syria.
The Aleppo strikes killed at least three people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. “Regime aircraft launched strikes and dropped barrel bombs on a number of neighbourhoods in the east of Aleppo for the first time since 18 October,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, the monitoring group’s director. People inside the city reported a heavy pace of attacks, and rights groups confirmed at least three people had died within a few hours.
The offensive began hours after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and US president-elect, Donald Trump, discussed Syria over the phone and agreed on the need to combine efforts in the fight against what the Kremlin called “international terrorism and extremism.” “Regime aircraft launched strikes and dropped barrel bombs on a number of neighbourhoods in the east of Aleppo for the first time since 18 October,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said on Tuesday Russia had launched new missile strikes against Islamic State (Isis) militants in Syria, using missiles and jets flying from the Admiral Kuznetsov, which made a much-publicised trip from Russia to Syria’s shores last month. Residents of besieged neighbourhoods shared videos of bombs falling on the city. Bombing raids on countryside around Aleppo targeted three hospitals on Monday, and began again on Tuesday before the city itself was hit, they said.
Shoigu made no mention of Aleppo, where Isis has no presence, but the Observatory said missiles fired from Russian warships in the Mediterranean had struck areas in both Aleppo and Idlib provinces. The attacks on Aleppo came just hours after the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, discussed Syria with the US president-elect, Donald Trump. They agreed on the need to combine their fights in the battle against “international terrorism and extremism”, Putin’s office said in a statement.
Syrian state television said Syria’s airforce had carried out strikes against what it called terrorist strongholds and supply depots in Aleppo. The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said Russia had launched new missile strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria, using missiles and jets flying from the Admiral Kuznetsov, which made a much-publicised trip from Russia to Syria last month.
He did not mention Aleppo, where Russian bombing has been particularly controversial. Isis have virtually no presence there and both the extreme suffering of trapped civilians and the power of munitions launched against them have prompted international outcry.
Aleppo was once Syria’s largest city, its cultural and commercial hub, but whole districts have been virtually abandoned over years of intense street fighting, and many parts of the east have been bombed into rubble. It is also being starved by a slowly tightening siege, broken only briefly in the summer.
A semblance of normal life continues in the city’s west. Regaining full control would be a huge boost for forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, for its symbolic value and because it is the only major urban area still controlled by the opposition.
Assad’s forces, backed by Iranian and other Shia militias and Russian air power, are battling mostly Sunni rebels, who get some backing from Turkey, the US and Gulf states.
Syrian state television said the air force had carried out strikes against what it called terrorist strongholds and supply depots in Aleppo.
Bana Alabed, seven, whose mother tweets daily updates of life under occupation, said she had counted at least 20 bombs landing on the city, just a couple of hours into the attack.
Since it started, over 20 bombs fell. - Fatemah #Aleppo
“Our houses are shaking from the pressure. Planes are soaring above us and the bombardment is around us,” said Modar Shekho, a resident of eastern Aleppo.“Our houses are shaking from the pressure. Planes are soaring above us and the bombardment is around us,” said Modar Shekho, a resident of eastern Aleppo.
Activist Baraa al-Halaby, who is based in eastern Aleppo, said via text messages that warplanes were firing missiles and helicopters were dropping barrel bombs. “People are scared. The bombardment is intense.” Activist Baraa al-Halaby, who is based in eastern Aleppo, said via text messages that war planes were firing missiles and helicopters were dropping barrel bombs. “People are scared. The bombardment is intense.”
The city has become the fiercest front in Syria’s five-and-a-half-year war, pitting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, supported by Russia, Iran and Shia militias, against mostly Sunni rebels including some backed by Turkey, the US and Gulf monarchies. The Syrian army and its allies managed to besiege eastern Aleppo this summer and launched a major offensive backed by a heavy bombardment in September, but in recent weeks Moscow has said it was observing a pause in airstrikes.
It has been divided for years between a government-held western sector and rebel-held eastern districts. Ibrahim Abu al-Laith, a civil defence official in the city, said on Tuesday: “It’s all airstrikes and parachute bombs. Today, the bombing is violent … There hasn’t been this kind of attack in more than 15 days.”
The bombardment of east Aleppo ended a period of relative quiet for more than 250,000 people living in the besieged rebel-held side of the city.
The Syrian army and its allies managed to besiege eastern Aleppo this summer and launched a big offensive backed by a heavy bombardment in September, but in recent weeks Moscow has said it was observing a pause in airstrikes.
“It’s all air strikes and parachute bombs. Today, the bombing is violent … There hasn’t been this kind of attack in more than 15 days,” said Ibrahim Abu al-Laith, a civil defence official in the city.
The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report