Dozens of civilians were killed as air strikes hammered rebel-held parts of Aleppo early morning, despite Western warnings of potential sanctions against Syria and Russia over attacks on the city. Both Russian and Syrian warplanes are carrying out air strikes over Aleppo in support of a major offensive by regime forces to capture rebel-held parts of the northern city. / AFP PHOTO /
by Karam al-Masri with Maya Gebeily in Beirut
ALEPPO, Syria (AFP) — Russia has announced an eight-hour “humanitarian” ceasefire in Aleppo later this week, as the EU warned that the Syrian regime’s Moscow-backed assault on the city could amount to a war crime.
The United Nations and European Union welcomed the announcement, but said Thursday’s planned pause in fighting needed to be longer to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, dozens of civilians including 12 members of the same family were killed in heavy bombardment of rebel-held eastern sectors of the embattled city on Monday, a monitoring group said.
“We have taken a decision not to waste time and to introduce ‘humanitarian pauses’, mainly for the free passage of civilians, evacuation of the sick and wounded and withdrawal of fighters,” senior Russian military officer Sergei Rudskoi said in Moscow.
The truce would run from 0800 to 1600 local time (0500 GMT to 1300 GMT) “in the area of Aleppo”, Rudskoi said.
“During this period the Russian air force and Syrian government troops will halt air strikes and firing from any other types of weapons.”
Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin also announced that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey had agreed to participate in talks with the US and Russia to try to separate moderate and extremist opposition in Aleppo and boost hopes of prolonging the truce.
The announcements came as EU foreign ministers condemned the ferocious air war waged on Aleppo over the past three weeks.
“Since the beginning of the offensive by the regime and its allies, notably Russia, the intensity and scale of the aerial bombardment of eastern Aleppo is clearly disproportionate,” a statement said.
“The deliberate targeting of hospitals, medical personnel, schools and essential infrastructure, as well as the use of barrel bombs, cluster bombs, and chemical weapons, constitute a catastrophic escalation of the conflict… and may amount to war crimes,” they added.
‘Positive step’
The EU ministers said they would press ahead with extending sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but stopped short of threatening measures against Russia.
EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini called Moscow’s announcement “positive” but said the truce was not long enough to allow humanitarian aid to reach the besieged city.
“It can be a start… for sure it is a positive step,” she told reporters at the close of the ministerial meeting in Luxembourg.
“The latest assessment from the aid agencies (however) is that 12 hours is needed so work is needed to find common ground,” she added.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric also welcomed the truce announcement but stressed the “need for a longer pause in order to get the aid in”.
Once Syria’s thriving commercial hub, Aleppo has been ravaged by air raids and intensifying clashes as regime forces fight to capture the rebel-held east.
Russian air support for the onslaught — which has destroyed hospitals and other civilian infrastructure — has spurred the accusations of potential war crimes.
Monday’s air strikes killed 13 civilians in Aleppo’s rebel-held district of Marjeh, including 12 members of the same family, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
“Nine of the family members were minors, including a 17-year-old girl and her newborn,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based group.
Unverified online video footage showed the bodies of eight children said to have been killed in Marjeh, wrapped in white cloth and lined up before their burial.
At least 47 people have been killed since Sunday morning in east Aleppo, the Observatory said.
The deadliest raids were overnight on a residential block in Qaterji, where the Observatory said Russian strikes killed 18 civilians.
Diplomatic efforts
“There are still families under the ruins. We pulled out seven or eight bodies and dozens of wounded,” said ambulance driver Abu Mohamed.
“The hospitals are full of casualties. It’s a disaster.”
More than 430 people have been killed in bombardment of the eastern half since the assault on Aleppo was announced on September 22, the Observatory said.
Another 82 people have died in rebel fire on government-held neighbourhoods in the west.
Further west in Aleppo province, Russian raids killed 23 people in the village of Uwaijal on Monday, said the Observatory.
US Secretary of State John Kerry met his counterparts from Russia, Iran and Syria’s neighbours in Switzerland on Saturday, before flying to London for talks with the British and other European foreign ministers.
Kerry said the Lausanne meeting produced new ideas on reviving a truce, after a ceasefire jointly brokered by Moscow and Washington collapsed last month.
Syria’s war has devolved from a widespread protest movement against Assad’s rule to a multi-front war between rebels, jihadists, Kurds and regime forces.
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