Even as Moscow pledged to pause strikes around the divided second city, it carried out raids further east on the Islamic State group bastion of Raqa that a monitor said killed 24 civilians.
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In July, Syrian armed forces backed by Russian air power encircled eastern Aleppo, which has been held by armed groups since 2012. The Netherlands-based agency said in a statement that the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances is “reprehensible”, adding it continues to examine any credible reports it received.
Russian Federation has announced a daily halt to hostilities between 10:00 (07:00 GMT) and 13:00 from yesterday, to allow in aid.
About Russia’s proposal for daily three-hour ceasefires in Aleppo, de Mistura said such short-scale truces were not enough.
“We commend the bravery of medical professionals across Syria who are working every day in perilous circumstances with minimal supplies to save lives”, the official said.
A medical source in Aleppo said “The regime’s helicopter dropped a barrel containing toxic gas on the neighbourhood of Zubdiya, Aleppo on Wednesday”.
On Saturday, rebel fighters broke and tentatively ended a brutal siege of their strongholds in the city by pro-government forces that had triggered worsening shortages of food and medicine.
On Wednesday, air strikes killed at least 19 people and wounded dozens in Idlib province, southwest of Aleppo.
Overnight there were claims of another chlorine gas attack on rebel-held Aleppo.
Fifteen of the only remaining doctors in the eastern half implored US President Barack Obama on Thursday to protect civilians from atrocities in their city. “Young children are sometimes brought into our emergency rooms so badly injured that we have to prioritise those with better chances, or simply don’t have the equipment to help them”. He said that seven people were receiving hospital treatment after the attack.
“We do not need tears or sympathy or even prayers: we desperately need a zone free from bombing over eastern Aleppo to stop the attacks, and global action to ensure Aleppo is never besieged again”. “Prove that you are the friend of Syrians”, it said. The Russian military said six of its long-range bombers had flown from their base in Russia to strike IS facilities near Raqqa, but did not mention civilian casualties.
Both sides deny using chemical weapons, but United Nations investigators say sarin gas was used three years ago in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, killing an estimated 1,429 people. He said the first blast released a gas he identified by the smell as chlorine, but the wind was blowing in the other direction, lessening the odour.
But residents contacted in the city say there was no halt in the bombardment on Thursday.
Russian Federation said the raids destroyed a “chemical weapons factory” as well as a weapons storage facility and IS training camp.
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It came as officials investigated reports that chlorine gas had been dropped on Aleppo, killing civilians and causing breathing difficulties in others.
