Aleppo braces for renewed Russian bombardment

At least 74 civilians, including 25 children, were killed in the 8-day-old offensive launched by Syrian opposition fighters against the western edge of the government-held part of Aleppo city, a Syrian opposition monitoring group said Saturday.
Opposition fighters launched the protracted attack on Oct. 28 on government-held Aleppo, aiming to break a months-long government-imposed siege on the eastern part of the city they control. They have since advanced on a number of neighborhoods on the city’s western edge, capturing Assad district and Minian village as pro-government forces fought back to regain control.
On Friday, a renewed 10-hour Russian offer of a moratorium on airstrikes on Aleppo expired. None of the area’s estimated 275,000 residents evacuated the territory, as was urged by Russian and Syrian officials. There were fears that a punishing aerial campaign would resume on the city after the expiration. 
Footage from the activist-run Thiqa News Agency showed missiles targeting the town of Darat Izza in northwestern Aleppo province. A team of first responders known as the Syrian Civil Defense, or White Helmets, said at least three people were killed in the airstrikes and 15 others wounded.
Abu Saeed Al-Halabi, a Dutch member of Fatah Al-Sham based in Aleppo, said Russia has intensified its airstrikes during the insurgent-led offensive on Aleppo’s western countryside, “the proposed end destination” for the potential evacuees from eastern Aleppo. He said that the aerial campaign has not curtailed the rebel offensive.
“This offensive will take longer than previous ones because the attacks take place in urban areas and the regime militias have a lot to lose if this siege is broken,” he said.
Rebels and civilians showed no sign of leaving Aleppo on Friday, despite a Russian deadline to resume bombing after a 17-day pause.

Source: Arab News