Syria – Conflict – Russia
The Syrian government’s key ally Russia launched heavy air strikes overnight on the outskirts of divided Aleppo city, slowing a “last-chance” assault by terrorists seeking to break a government siege.
The assault began on Sunday and is intended to ease the encirclement of the opposition-held east of Aleppo city.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights described it as the largest terrorist attack in Aleppo since 2012, when fighting reached the city and left it roughly divided between the opposition control in the east and government forces in the west.
But government troops backed by Russia’s air force have put up a fierce defense, the monitor said.
“The Russian raids didn’t stop all night on the front lines” there, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
“This has slowed the offensive and allowed Syrian government troops to retake five of the eight positions that terrorists had taken since Sunday,” he added.
The strikes came despite an appeal by US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday for Russia to “restrain” itself and its ally in Damascus, AFP reported.
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