Aleppo Reels from Strikes as Russia Accused of 'War Crimes'

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Syria's Aleppo faced worsening food and medical shortages on Monday and warplanes again pounded the city as Russia condemned what it called "unacceptable" Western rhetoric after allegations of war crimes.

A fresh wave of intense air strikes battered Aleppo's opposition-controlled east, said an AFP correspondent in the city facing its worst violence in years.

During an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, U.S. ambassador Samantha Power accused Russia of "barbarism", while the British and French envoys went even further.

"War crimes are being committed here in Aleppo," Francois Delattre of France said, while Britain's envoy spoke of bunker-busting bombs and more sophisticated weaponry unleashing a "new hell" on Syrians.

"It is difficult to deny that Russia is partnering with the Syrian regime to carry out war crimes," said Britain's Matthew Rycroft.

The Kremlin hit back.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced "the overall unacceptable tone and rhetoric of the representatives of the United Kingdom and the United States, which can damage and harm our relations."

Despite the exchange, the violence showed no signs of abating on the ground, with people in Aleppo saying food and vital medical supplies were dwindling to nothing.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said at least 12 people, including three children, were killed in Monday's raids on several rebel-held districts.

- Blood shortage, more amputations -

Including the latest deaths, a total of 140 people, nearly all civilians, have been killed in Syrian and Russian raids on eastern Aleppo since late Thursday.

They include 23 children and 10 women, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said Monday.

It was the fourth day of intense bombardment since a defiant Syrian regime launched a new assault to retake all of Aleppo following the collapse early last week of a short-lived ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington. 

Since the truce fell apart, a total of 248 people have been killed in Aleppo city and the wider province by Russian and government bombardment, the Observatory said. 

A Syrian military source told AFP regime forces had no intention of letting up on rebel-held areas.

"The air force will bomb any terrorist movements, this is an irreversible decision," the source said, reiterating the regime's goal was to "recapture all regions of Syria" outside its control.

A medical source in rebel-held Aleppo said hospitals were struggling to deal with a huge number of casualties.

"Hospitals that are still in service are under a lot of pressure due to the significant number of wounded in recent days, and the major shortage of blood," the source told AFP.

"Because of this, serious injuries are requiring immediate amputations."

With Aleppo back under siege since regime forces again fully surrounded the city in early September, residents were left reeling from food shortages and skyrocketing prices as well as intensifying violence.

- 'End the nightmare' -

Several charity kitchens in Aleppo's rebel-held east were closed in fear of strikes, while water remained cut after pumping stations were damaged at the weekend. 

"We endured through years of bombardments and did not leave Aleppo. But now there is no bread, no drinking water, nothing in the markets. The situation is getting worse every day," said Hassan Yassin, a 40-year-old father of four. 

On Monday, dozens of rebels and their families quit the last opposition-held district of central Homs city as part of a deal struck with the regime last year. 

A total of 131 fighters and 119 family members were bussed out of Waer, devastated after a three-year regime siege, to rebel-held Dar al-Kubra further north, said a source from Homs governorate.

An estimated 600,000 Syrians live under siege, according to the U.N., with most encircled by regime forces though rebels also use the tactic. 

The U.N.'s World Food Program said it delivered food aid on Sunday to civilians in four besieged towns in Syria for the first time since April.

Madaya and Zabadani, near Damascus, are encircled by government forces while Fuaa and Kafraya in the northwest are besieged by hardline rebels. 

A convoy of 53 trucks entered Madaya and Zabadani, with another 18 to Fuaa and Kafraya, according to the International Committee for the Red Cross.  

At Sunday's Security Council meeting, U.S. envoy Power voiced some of the strongest criticism yet of Russia's support for President Bashar Assad's regime.

"What Russia is sponsoring and doing is not counter-terrorism. It is barbarism," she said.

Russia's year-long air war has helped Assad's forces regain ground lost to a wide range of opposition forces.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also warned the use of advanced weaponry against civilians could amount to war crimes.

Ban called on world powers to "work harder for an end to the nightmare" in Syria that has killed more than 300,000 people and driven millions from their homes.

Comments 18
Missing humble 26 September 2016, 14:39

Criminal Butcher. Won't go away with it.

Thumb Southern...... 26 September 2016, 15:17

do you have something in life apart from praying and posting rubbish in this forum!?, i wonder!

Thumb Mystic 26 September 2016, 15:24

Humble, how many times have you people said that? Yet Assad still sits on his seat.

Thumb Southern...... 26 September 2016, 15:09

while the warmonger, the zionist protector still supporting the terrorists who are hijacking part of the city using the civilians as human shield.

Thumb Southern...... 26 September 2016, 16:12

@terr, note down:

your above narrow-minded statement, oblige me to give you a hint: seek some help in term of good education, because Israel was the product of the western power after WWII, Brittain gave it birth while the warmonger gave it life and still... end of story.

remeber: in 1973 war, the soviet union played major role when the Syrian army defeated the zionists till Sadat's treason.... this is what it does count!

btw: the wahhabi state is like zionist one, they are anti-Arab entities that you cheer and glorify, in this you need some help too.

Missing imagine_1979 26 September 2016, 16:27

For a leftist u know litle about soviet union my friend southern..
I can imagine why u chose to forget what hezbos have done in south lebanon, the leftists and comunist assassinations but the soviet position is part of general knowledge..
U donnot know why lebanese comunist party cut ties in the 70's with the soviet my friend?... We'll it was because the soviet backed israel state by then, and where more than happy to send (willingly or not) thouthends of rusian jews there...
U know southern u can chose to change lebanon history as per ur current political convienience but changing the world history this one is a litle big...
As for terrorist, well despite the soviet position the lebanese leftists and comunists created the resistance, this since the 70's with popular brigades (harras el chaabi) then lebanese patriotic resistance front (jamoul) untill those reatrded islamic resistance came and took it to another level...
Have a nice day both of u

Missing imagine_1979 26 September 2016, 16:34

Well 70's show was not that bad..
But the discution was going on on that subject bro, if u weren't that stupid u would have noticed, but again....
Nice trolling man, keep up the good work :)

Thumb Southern...... 26 September 2016, 18:30

1979:

you have to include in your list all the components of LCW:
the "Tigers"
LNM
PLO
Amal
LF
Communists
HA
all of them were seeking to widen their influence, by hitting each other without distinguishing..... be more intelligent and stop issuing biased statements, really hateful you are.

btw: Usa NUKED Japan...both the Americans and Japanese are still the same but right now they are allies.... move on!

Missing imagine_1979 26 September 2016, 20:30

It s a good start southern now u do recognise that hezbos did everything to eliminate any secular, or multiconfesional resistance to put their ISLAMIC redistance (as per the official name) in control of south lebanon (even if u do try to melt it in the crasy lebanese war in which u are right)
Now after it can u try to figure why no faction approved lebanese resistance brigade then? (Despite that now some seems to be back at it..) can u figure how communist resistants (who kept action untill 2000) where shot on their way to the borders? Can u figure how soha bchara was denied official comunist gathering in her arrival and when her dad tried to raise the red flag security rushed to stop him (that was in the news but can u figure why?
Can u figure why in south lebanon most liqor shop were shutdown? Can u ask ur parents how social life was there before hezbos took control?...
Is it really the system u wanna live by?

Missing imagine_1979 26 September 2016, 20:33

I would really apreciate an honest answer... And please why i do get alined with saiid chaaban and hachem minkara in tripoli via "patriotic party gathering aka al ahzab el watanieh" spare us the takfiri bullshit, as a leftist u should know who said chaaban and hachem minkara are (now said's son billal, but i donno if he got secular and progresist as hezbos seem to be...
Just an honest answer southern...

Thumb Southern...... 26 September 2016, 20:39

no, i didn't say that you idiot, what i'm saying that everybody fought everybody and that's all...so, dont put words that i dont say in my mouth, really dumb.

btw: come on talk about Gigi first the child killer, bearing in mind that you are one of his follower...

Thumb Southern...... 26 September 2016, 20:49

the country is facing real threat and individuals like you only do harm while HA is doing the good things, sacrificing and that's why the country is the most secure among the M.E countries.. like it or not... leave the ligors for now.

Missing imagine_1979 26 September 2016, 20:49

U still dinot answer southern...
Gigi acted in the war as any other factions, all foughts..
Now gigi got un jail (for a crime later proven not done by him) all of them should hv done jail (and for the good reasons).
I bever did said that gigi was a saint, he acknowledge his mistake, comunists did also officially in 1991 but this is not enough all who fought should have gotten the deserved sentences or all should be let free (i prefer all in jail)
But none of them southern, except hezbos (who are at least as sectarian as gigi, who commited assassinations during war, who still has their millicia would be passing for saint..
So is this really the system u wanna live by?

Missing imagine_1979 26 September 2016, 21:16

Southern can u tell me how hezbollah in irak or in yemen makes lebNon safer?
And what good is he bringing? Untill 2006 he refused to send lebanese army to south lebanon southern all who dare to comment even comunists where called zionist southern... Is south lebanon a secular open minded place? Is it more secular and openminded than tripoli for exemple?...
This is the king of system u wanna live in?

Missing ArabDemocrat.com 26 September 2016, 21:45

May not be considered communist but this is by far the most pro-Iseali government in recent memory in Russia

Missing humble 26 September 2016, 22:35

@terrorist,
You are giving very important and truthful historical facts which have great impact on the strategies and decision-making of big powers.
But the illiterate people on this blog won't be able to appreciate your geopolitical reasoning, because they have no education for that. I beg you not to answer them since their silly remarks do not deserve the tiniest attention.

Missing humble 27 September 2016, 00:44

@terrorist
I admire you remarks and sense of humor.

Missing people-power 27 September 2016, 06:30

Shoulder-fired anti aircraft missiles are coming for the rebels