Syrian government forces seized ground from rebels north of Aleppo on Saturday, tightening their siege on the city’s opposition-held east as it came under fierce air strikes in a major offensive by the Russian-backed army.
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Earlier this week, tens of civilians left rebel-held areas upon the renewed calls of the Syrian authorities for people to abandon rebel-controlled areas in eastern Aleppo.
“Handarat has fallen”, an official with one of the main Aleppo rebel groups said.
“What’s happening now is annihilation in every sense of the word”, he told Reuters.
The government has urged people to avoid positions held by rebels.
The truce effectively collapsed after a week when an aid convoy was attacked on Monday, killing some 20 people.
The Syrian opposition coalition, meanwhile, condemned what it termed the regime’s Russian-backed “criminal campaign. targeting the besieged residential districts of Aleppo”.
He also reiterated his calls for the separation of opposition forces from the Nusra Front, adding that Russian Federation had recently observed that opposition fighters had merged with the Nusra Front. The two powers accuse each other of failing to rein in their respective allies on the ground.
The civil defence organisation known as the White Helmets was left overwhelmed by the scale of the destruction, particularly after several of its bases were damaged in bombing yesterday.
In between the raids, White Helmet volunteers frantically searched for those trapped in the rubble of demolished buildings, often with their bare hands.
Residents of east Aleppo reported the heaviest bombardment in months overnight after the regime announced a fresh offensive, in a clear sign Bashar al-Assad’s regime had no intention of complying with United States appeals to stop the violence and extend the truce.
The new government push came as the United Nations said that almost 2 million people in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city and onetime commercial center, are without running water following an escalation in fighting over the past few days.
A high-ranking military source confirmed that the bombardment was in preparation for a ground assault. The army said the operation would include a ground attack, and could last “for some time”.
Army officials said there would be exit points for anyone, including rebels, who wanted to flee.
“Any truce, seven days, three days, would be senseless”, Lavrov said, claiming that “groups close to Al Nusra” had launched 350 attacks during the week-long ceasefire.
First, an errant US strike on a Syrian military contingent killed dozens.
Thursday night’s meeting in NY brought together members of the International Syria Support Group, which includes the US, Russia and other powers.
United Nations peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said Thursday’s failed talks were “long, painful and disappointing” and warned of escalating violence.
“We’re evaluating some mutual ideas in a constructive way, period”, Kerry said.
Mr Kerry met Mr Lavrov again on Friday and said there had been “a little bit of progress” on resolving differences.
The U.S. -Russian talks were “disappointing”, de Mistura said in an interview Friday with Al-Jazeera, lamenting Syria’s “return to open conflict”.
Syrian state television reported late on Friday that the army had managed to advance and secure control over a road near Ramousah in southwest Aleppo, but this was denied by rebels.
He said a key condition of the truce was for moderate rebel groups backed by the U.S. to separate themselves from militants.
Mr Lavrov said that if the location of militants of the Nusra Front could be pinpointed, he remained convinced a cessation of hostilities and a delivery of humanitarian aid would be possible.
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“Now it is essential to prevent a disruption of these agreements”, Lavrov said. All bombs are to kill, but it’s about how to use it.
