US demands Assad forces halt Aleppo strikes as residents flee

The United States Saturday demanded that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces halt their bombardment of Aleppo and help restore a nationwide ceasefire, with Secretary of State John Kerry due to head to Geneva for talks on the conflict. 


Terrified residents fled a new wave of air strikes on rebel-held areas of the divided city as key regime backer Russia rejected calls to rein in its ally. 


With the peace process hanging by a thread, Kerry was to fly to Geneva on Sunday for talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura and the Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers. 


In calls to De Mistura and the lead Syrian opposition negotiator, Kerry expressed "deep concern" about Aleppo, which has suffered some of the worst fighting in a conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions. 


"The secretary made clear that ending the violence in Aleppo and returning ultimately to a durable, nationwide cessation is a top priority," spokesman John Kirby said. 


A truce was called in February between Assad's forces and a coalition of rebels but has since begun to break down, particularly in the besieged city of Aleppo where nearly 250 people have been killed in the last 10 days. 


In the calls, Kerry dismissed Russian and regime claim that the Aleppo strikes were targeting the Al-Nusra Front, a jihadist force that is not party to the ceasefire. 


"The secretary made clear that we urged Russia to take steps to stop regime violations, especially its indiscriminate aerial attacks in Aleppo," Kirby said. 


Aleppo was left out of a new temporary US-Russian brokered truce that appeared to be holding in the regime stronghold of Latakia as well as Damascus and the nearby rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta. 


A new round of UN-backed peace talks is set to start on May 10 in Geneva

Source: NNA