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Syria conflict: 'Civilians killed' by Aleppo rockets | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Three missiles have crashed into residential areas of Syria's northern city of Aleppo, killing at least 12 civilians, activists say. | Three missiles have crashed into residential areas of Syria's northern city of Aleppo, killing at least 12 civilians, activists say. |
Video footage posted online claims to show the aftermath, with people carrying away the wounded and a wide area reduced to rubble. | Video footage posted online claims to show the aftermath, with people carrying away the wounded and a wide area reduced to rubble. |
Activists say families are buried under the rubble in one neighbourhood. | |
Meanwhile, opposition politicians say they have agreed to form a government for rebel-held areas. | |
Umbrella group the Syrian National Coalition, meeting in Cairo, said it would meet again in Istanbul on 2 March to name a prime minister. | |
The UN estimates that about 70,000 people have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime began in March 2011. | |
'Horrible sight' | 'Horrible sight' |
The reasons for the latest attack are unclear, and it is also not clear who launched the missiles. | The reasons for the latest attack are unclear, and it is also not clear who launched the missiles. |
Earlier this week, activists accused the government forces of targeting other areas of Aleppo with Russian-made Scud-type missiles. | Earlier this week, activists accused the government forces of targeting other areas of Aleppo with Russian-made Scud-type missiles. |
Video footage allegedly of the latest incident shows chaotic scenes, but the darkness of the images makes it difficult to identify the type or size of the rockets. | |
An activist called Baraa al-Youssef told Reuters news agency that 30 homes had been destroyed by one of the rockets. | |
"Nothing can describe it, it's a horrible sight," he said. | "Nothing can describe it, it's a horrible sight," he said. |
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 12 bodies had been recovered and more than 50 people had been wounded. | The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 12 bodies had been recovered and more than 50 people had been wounded. |
In the early months of the uprising Aleppo, Syria's commercial capital, was largely spared the violence. | |
But the course of the conflict dramatically shifted in summer 2012, and the northern city become an intense battleground. | |
Many thousands have fled the violence, and in recent months the rebels and government forces appear to have reached stalemate, neither side being able to gain the upper hand. |