On Thursday, US President Barack Obama said Russian Federation risked casting itself as an “irresponsible actor” on the world stage particularly due to its actions in Aleppo in recent weeks.
Advertisement
At least seven people were killed and 20 others suffered suffocation and breathing difficulties from chemical gas attack in Aleppo, state news agency SANA said on Wednesday, citing a Russian observation centre.
“Since June, we’ve seen increasing reports of attacks on civilians in Aleppo and strikes on the region’s remaining medical infrastructure”.
It said that n casualties were reported as at the time of the report.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition monitor, said there were at least 40 air strikes on opposition areas, including on a camp for displaced people in Atareb, south-west of Aleppo.
“The regime is launching counterattacks to absorb the fierce rebel offensive”, said observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said on Wednesday it is “extremely” concerned for the safety and well-being of children caught up in the violence engulfing the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, including the rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods under government siege.
Rescuers from the Syria Civil Defence, an organization that provides humanitarian aid within the country, said a helicopter dropped barrels holding toxic gas on the town, affecting 33 people, primarily women and children.
The Syrian regime’s key ally Russian Federation launched heavy airstrikes overnight on the outskirts of divided Aleppo city, slowing a “last-chance” assault by rebels seeking to break a government siege.
“The opposition offensive has not achieved the results that were expected at this stage”.
“The US remains prepared to work with Russian Federation to try to reduce the violence and strengthen our efforts against ISIL, Al-Qaeda and Syria”, Obama told reporters at the Pentagon, using an alternate acronym for the IS jihadist group.
The observatory said 50 rebels and allied militants had been killed since it began, as well as dozens of regime troops.
The aid group said five of the six hospitals hit in the past week had previously been bombed by Syrian forces.
A senior USA official told CNN on Tuesday that the United States was not ready to officially call the incident a chemical attack.
A doctor in Saraqeb who told CNN he treated some of those affected said their symptoms were consistent with chlorine poisoning.
“One indeed can ask the United States why it still continues to support this group”, Willy Van Damme, a Belgian journalist, said.
Advertisement
Many hospitals have been hit or damaged during the five-year conflict.
