36 Dead in Aleppo Air Raids after 85 Killed on Saturday

إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية W460

At least 36 people were killed Sunday in regime air strikes and aerial attacks with explosive-packed barrels on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said regime aircraft carried out a series of deadly air strikes for a second day in eastern parts of the city.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told Agence France Presse that most of the dead were killed in several raids in which regime helicopters dropped so-called barrel bombs on the Tariq al-Bab district.

He said 21 people were killed in three strikes in the eastern neighborhood, among them 13 children.

The other deaths were in additional air strikes and barrel bomb attacks in the city, which is divided between regime and rebel control.

The latest bloodshed comes a day after at least 85 people were killed in a string of barrel bomb attacks and aerial raids, according to the Observatory.

The Britain-based group relies on a network of activists and other sources on the ground for its reporting.

Government troops have been advancing in the area around Aleppo city, once the country's economic hub.

The al-Watan newspaper, which is close to the government, said Sunday that government troops had seized control of most of the east Karam al-Turab district -- which the Observatory confirmed.

The newspaper said troops were seeking to take control of several eastern and northern districts in a bid to recapture large swathes of the city, where fighting began in mid-2012.

In recent months, the army has seized parts of the province from rebels, including the area around Aleppo airport, which was closed for nearly a year because of fighting nearby.

The airport was reopened to air traffic last month.

The newspaper said "vast military operations" were also underway to capture the majority Turkmen town of Zara in central Homs province, near the famed Krak des Chevaliers castle and the Lebanese border.

The Observatory confirmed the army had seized most of Karam al-Turab, and said fierce fighting was underway around Zara.

It also seven people, six men and a women had been killed in a regime air raid on the town of Mleha, southeast of Damascus.

The latest violence came the day after Syrian government and opposition delegations wrapped up peace talks in Geneva without tangible results or a government commitment to return to the table.

On Sunday, state news agency SANA carried scathing remarks from deputy foreign minister Faisal al-Muqdad, who accused the opposition of being "mercenaries manipulated by foreign forces."

Al-Watan added that the conflict had "transferred to the political and diplomatic field, which is one that the Syrians know well."

"Syria has a strong army of diplomats and politicians who can defeat all those they face," the paper said.

A top international goal for the talks was greater humanitarian access, particularly in besieged areas like the Old City of Homs.

No deal was forthcoming and Western nations are now planning a U.N. Security Council resolution on the issue, as well as possibly on the slow pace of a program to move Syria's chemical weapons out of the country.

Despite not being on the agenda at the talks, aid has entered the besieged Palestinian refugee camp Yarmuk on the outskirts of Damascus.

On Sunday, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA distributed hundreds of food parcels for the fourth consecutive day.

UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said 3,420 food parcels had been delivered to the estimated 18,000 people trapped in the camp since the agency gained access to it on January 18.

More than 136,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict began in March 2011.

Comments 25
Thumb ice-man 02 February 2014, 11:24

"At least 85 people were killed, including 65 civilians, 10 of whom were children," when government helicopters dropped barrel bombs on rebel-held areas of Aleppo"

.... and Assad said "Why is there so much evil"?

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 02 February 2014, 14:33

legit has no honor like his boss.

Missing samy2 02 February 2014, 16:08

no brains either

Thumb ice-man 02 February 2014, 16:59

I have to agree with you on that one samy.

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 02 February 2014, 20:10

BigJohn - This should tell you who is thee handler for many in these types of group. The Syrian regime has so thouroughly inflitrated the top levels of Jihadist organizations and use them to cause so much chaos and undermine legitimate opposition that people will accept "the bad to avoid the worse." The sad thing is that was the main argument that this regime has used for decades "Ikball al Sayye'a Li tatajannab Al-aswa'a". i

Missing imagine_1979 02 February 2014, 14:54

Yes the opposition must stop airstikes, expllosive barrel..scuds missil launching... Chemical arms... You are right lebpat, as always, bravo...
Now ,really, go have some chupachups...

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 02 February 2014, 14:55

lebtraitor - Are you for real?!!! the regime slaughters civilians and you blame the opposition. Have some shame and a bit of honor.

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 02 February 2014, 20:15

FT - you know that to be an isolated case by a dranged commander of a small group. Meanwhile the killing of civilians by the regime is a conscious policy to sow terror.

Missing greatpierro 02 February 2014, 15:04

Why you do not condemn those type of bombing and you cry foul when the Israeli use fragmentation bombs.
Regardless if you are with or against the Syrian or the Israeli or whoever, one should always condemn arms that target civilians.

Missing greatpierro 02 February 2014, 15:08

The Israeli call hizbullah terrorists. The Syrian regime calls the FSA terrorists. The Nazis used to call the French resistance terrorists. It so convenient to treat your opponents of terrorist. The regime should rather put all its strength to find a peaceful outcome rather than issue useless statement.

Missing samy2 02 February 2014, 16:06

you are wasting our oxygen darling

Missing greatpierro 02 February 2014, 18:20

@lebpatriot
indeed the islamists for nusra and daeish can be labelled as terrorists. but the regime has been behaving in a terrorist manner just as well as it has been directing against civilians indiscriminate violence and killing.

when civilians started demonstrating peacefully, the regime sent shabiha and military shooting at them for over six months. That is criminal and terrorism. I wish that you supporters of the syrian regime recognize those atrocities as we have all been witnessing those violence direct on tv and onu tube.

Missing greatpierro 02 February 2014, 21:07

@lebpatriot
condemning terrorism should be an non issue. Yet in the way it was put on the table it meant that the opposition should have condemned their armed struggle against the regime. The assad regime wanted to corner the opposition by pulling the rug below their feet. It was a maneouver that the opposition could not accept.

For the Assad there is not much up for negotiation. The regime is here to stay is not willing to leave the power for any other than Assad. How rediculous when you think about it. Why should the power be held solely by Mr. Assad and sons?

I am very pessimistic as this war is not near from ending. Assad wants to stay. The opposition wants a democratic transition. Solve it.

Thumb beiruti 02 February 2014, 17:06

Truly barbaric what the Regime does to its people. This was not a military attack. There is no military advantage to dropping explosive nail barrels from helicopters. It is a terror tactic.
Terrorism is not a political movement, it is a tactic used to advance an agenda. The Assad Regime knows the playbook well.

Thumb chrisrushlau 02 February 2014, 19:34

Other news agencies refer to the "Syrian Observatory of Human Rights" as an activist operation, and in fact, it is one activist, one lone guy in London, whose name might be Abdel Rahman. AFP seems to have fallen off the wagon lately as far as journalistic sobriety goes. It's become more of a government propaganda outlet.
"Barbaric" is when the bomber lectures you about Cicero and Socrates while bombing you for no good reason.

Thumb beiruti 02 February 2014, 17:48

Yes Roar, but even if my house was in order, the fire next door will burn it down whether its in order or not, so concern for my neighbor, I must have.

Thumb beiruti 02 February 2014, 18:09

Oh Roar, I was not helping my neighbor when it was burning my house. I was trying to put the fire out in my house, but the arsonist next door would not stop. He was the arsonist and the fireman. Now the fires that he started in my house has come home to roost in his house. It is no less dangerous to Lebanon that the arsonist is experiencing the same problem now. He may make the fire bigger in an effort to bring in more help. Fires are funny things. Easy to start, not so easy to put out.

Thumb beiruti 03 February 2014, 03:17

In 1988-89, I too was with the General. But as the 90's progressed, his movement became more about Aoun than about Lebanon until there was a clear division between the Lebanese Nationalists, of whic I was one, and the Aounists, which I am not. I am not a zilm neither for Aoun, Geagea, or any Lebanese politician. When Aounism meant coming into league with all that we had fought against, this confirmed why I follow no Lebanese politician. They are not for the country, but for themselves. Aoun is the greatest disappointment because he had held out the most promise to be different.

Missing peace 02 February 2014, 19:40

war against civilians and use of barrel bombs to maximize the death and spread bashar s terror;with the full and proud support of hypocrit M8ers....

Missing peace 02 February 2014, 21:41

there is a HUGE difference between a regime supposed to represent its people that is massacring it and bombing it against ALL international laws and terrorist groups...

a gvt is supposed to just wage war against terrorists and not against its own people... see the difference?

this regime you support is no different from those "beheading" infidels as you say... but still you support it.... then you are no different!

Missing peace 02 February 2014, 19:41

because the syrian regime will never assume to say they are butchering civilians to spread their terror....

Missing peace 02 February 2014, 21:38

throwing barrel bombs is sure not butchering... stop hiding! you perfectly know that assad is butchering civilians....

Thumb cedre 02 February 2014, 23:28

thanks ft for showing ur real values or rather ur lack of them i should say...

Missing people-power 03 February 2014, 02:29

The_Bore.... are you still claiming that you live in Australia??

Your posts start at 1:30 AM Sydney time, and your post continues through the night.

Seems weird huh?

Don't you need sleep for your important day job at McDonald's? How about spending time running your world famous charity?

Thumb lebpatriot246 03 February 2014, 06:41

Those that harbor terrorists should be hung.