... the city became a heap of ruins, a captured 250,000 people on the brink of starvation

1 hour and 32 minutes

Source:
http://www.jutarnji.hr/vijesti/svijet/najkrvavija-bitka-u-siriji-nova-islamisticka-grupa-predvodi-nevidenu-eskalaciju-nasilja/4578920/

AUTHOR:
Jutarnji.hr

Published:
02.08.2016. u 15:16

Long five and a half years have passed since the war began in Syria, according to some estimates took almost half a million lives, has resulted in the wounding of an additional two million people and displaced more than 10 million inhabitants.

The symbol of this bloody conflict, which the village is still not in sight, the battle for Aleppo, which has lasted for four years. One of the oldest cities in the world today is a heap of ruins, a pre-war population of about two million people was reduced to 250 000 desperate residents in parts of the city under the control of rebels. Because of the siege carried out by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad, these people are de facto captured during wartime.

Recently, the regime has stepped up attacks on these parts of the city, mainly frequent bombings carried out by the air force. To reduce the visibility of targets, desperate residents started burning piles of tires which the smoke hides much of the city. However, the various rebel factions, dominated notorious Islamist groups realize that their position is untenable, and the last few days trying to break the siege of the eastern part of the city. The battles that followed the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights called it "the most violent attack rebel groups so far," says ibtimes.

Thanks to a new wave of attacks, the rebels managed to win the part of territory in southern and western Aleppo despite the frequent bombing of Assad's forces. Journalist Callum Paton speculates that the main reason for this dramatic increase in violence decisions Islamist group al-Nusra to secede from their "parent" al-Qaeda. They were last week changed its name to Džabhat Fatah al-Sham, but it seems that the move strengthened the morale in their ranks and turned down heavy defeat by the rebels set itself the regime's army.

In addition to the fighters al-Shamma, so that anyone can look forward to the development of the situation. Violence in Aleppo increased to unprecedented levels even more, and now hurt innocent civilians not only from regime forces, but also the bloodthirsty jihadists who use any means to achieve their goals and send a message to Assad (remember only the murder of 10-year-old Palestinian man which severed head for the cameras in a move that copies the brutality of the Islamic countries).

International organizations warn that this change in the balance of power in Aleppo could only prolong the destructive stalemate situation in which tens of thousands of captured inhabitants are on the brink of starvation. Thus, the UN envoy Staffan de Mistura four days ago warned that the stocks in the eastern part of the city could disappear for three more weeks.

Rebels this does not concern. They yesterday near the Russian helicopter crashed with five crew members and widely celebrated "victory", but at the same time from rocket launchers targeted University of Aleppo during which one student was killed, and 13 wounded. In a war that has seen all kinds of horror, the objectives are no longer elected.

---

IZAKOVIC