Syria regime shelling kills 21 civilians in east Aleppo

The Observatory reported that the government was detaining and questioning hundreds of those fleeing rebel-held areas for the comparative safety of state-controlled districts. It didn’t say how many were evacuated. She praised the Syrian army and said that while in rebel-held areas her family had no food or drink and was treated badly.

Russian media said Moscow had been in contact with the incoming Trump administration on Syria, but a spokesman for Putin told CNN he could not confirm the reports.

“But we know that Assad regime statements often don’t reflect reality in Syria, so we ask opposition leaders and rebels and activists and residents, why are people still living in this neighborhood when it’s so hard, it’s so risky?”

“We believe that Assad can not actually enhance the national unity in the country”, Cavusoglu said.

“I believe we will get the pause that we ask for”, he said, adding that they were “still waiting” for a reply. “The person who kills nearly 600,000 shouldn’t rule any country”.

Speaking alongside his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, Cavusloglu said “we are in agreement that a cease-fire is needed so that the tragedy can come to an end”.

The US has been Russia’s fiercest critic at United Nations meetings, and the old Cold War enemies have essentially stood on opposing sides of the conflict.

According to Syrian national newspaper SANA, eight people were killed on Wednesday and seven others were injured in rocket shells fired by the terrorist organizations on a number of residential neighborhoods in Aleppo.

The latest attacks brought the civilian toll of the government’s offensive to more than 300 civilians, including 42 children, since November 15.

A general view shows a damaged road after Syrian government soldiers took control of Al-Sakhour neighborhood in Aleppo.

Hasan, who has been unable to return to Aleppo since leaving during the summer, said dozens of civilians had been killed on Wednesday after barrel bombs dropped by government forces.

About 50,000 people have been displaced in parts of east Aleppo. The true figure once those who have fled to government areas is included is likely to be much higher.

The Syrian government has pounded rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo in recent days.

Thick cloud cover and rain deterred air strikes on rebel-held districts of east Aleppo on Thursday, though artillery bombardment and heavy fighting continued on the ground, a monitor and civil defence workers said. It said that rebel groups that had controlled the town since 2012 left it this week under a deal with authorities.

Syria’s Aleppo has been the scene of fierce battles between Syria’s army and militants holding the city’s eastern districts.

In their attack on Wednesday, regime forces stepped up the use of air strikes, including in Aleppo’s Old City, according to a rebel official. And they say people there won’t leave their homes because they’re afraid of the regime.

In Friday’s statement, Konashenkov called on Jan Egeland, a senior United Nations aid official for Syria, to move faster to provide aid to the area.