Turkish-backed fighters close to taking al-Bab

‘The hospital was partially burnt and is now out of service, ‘ al-Haj said.

Syria’s grinding five-year conflict has devastated Aleppo, divided between government-controlled areas in the west and rebel positions in the east.

Assad also identified U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as a possible “natural ally”, if he turned out to be “genuine” about his commitment to fight terror in Syria.

With East Aleppo besieged by regime forces, the United Nations has also reported that the last food rations in the area have been handed out contributing to an ever more desperate humanitarian situation with more than 250,000 people said to be trapped in the area.

At least 65 civilians have been killed in east Aleppo since the start of a regime offensive on Tuesday, the Observatory said.

Russian Federation has said its air raids and missile strikes have only been targeting Idlib province and the central province of Homs to root out militants of the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-linked group.

More than 300,000 people have been killed in Syria’s civil war, now in its sixth year. “The planes are up above”.

“We are trying to leave the basement but we can’t because of all the aircraft still in the sky”.

“It’s a well-developed, industrial-scale production”, he said, adding that the strikes will continue. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based organisation that monitors the war, said shelling and air strikes from helicopters and jets hit the eastern half of the city, causing severe damage.

Residents have always been prevented from leaving Raqqa without IS permission, but in recent months it has become impossible, said Abu Mohamed, another activist with RBSS who spoke from outside the city.

Video footage from the al-Shaar area appeared to show the aftermath of fierce bombardment. As fires licked the edge of cars and buildings, the air was filled with dust. It was the fifth attack on a medical facility in the space of three days.

“But we always say we have wishful thinking that the Unites States would be unbiased, respect the worldwide law, doesn’t interfere in other countries around the world, and of course to stop supporting terrorists in Syria”.

Also on Wednesday, Syrian state television said that the government was preparing to deploy troops for a renewed ground offensive on several fronts in Aleppo.

Damascus describes all the rebels fighting to oust Assad, which include both nationalist groups and jihadist factions banned by Western countries, as terrorists.

In September 2015, Russian Federation launched a military operation against terrorist groups in war-torn Syria at the request of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Assad’s forces, backed by Iranian and other Shia militias and Russian air power, have used a policy of bombing the opposition to the negotiating table while starving the communities that support them into surrender in several Syrian cities.

Bebars Meshaal from the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, put the death toll at 27 and said three additional bodies had been recovered from bombings the previous day, when regime forces resumed its air raid over eastern Aleppo after a three-week lull.

The Observatory said districts struck included Shaar, Sukkari and Karam al-Beik.

“Its expiration would compound the damage done by the president’s unsafe nuclear deal and send a message that the United States will no longer oppose the destructive role of Iran in the Middle East”, said Royce.