While UN Delivers Aid To Regime-Held Territory, Russia Rains Fire On Aleppo

September 22, 2016
Incendiary attack on Kfar Dael near Aleppo on September 21. Screenshot from Thiqa Agency

LIVE UPDATES: The previous post in our Putin in Syria column can be found here.


While UN Delivers Aid To Regime-Held Territory, Russia Rains Fire On Aleppo

Two days after the UN and other agencies suspended all aid delivery operations in Syria following a devastating attack on a convoy in the Aleppo province that left at least 20 dead, humanitarian operations have resumed, albeit only in territory under the control of the Assad regime.

A UN aid convoy is heading to Moadamyeh al-Sham, a suburb southwest of Damascus that surrendered to the Assad regime by rebel fighters a month ago.

While the convoy bombed by Russian and possibly regime aircraft on Monday night was delivering aid to rebel-held areas, the mission to the now-regime-held Damascus suburb is being escorted by the Russian military.

Less than an hour ago, the Syrian Local Coordination Committees (LCC) reported that the convoy was awaiting permission to enter Moadamyeh.

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LLC photo
2016-09-22 10:33:02

Meanwhile the Syrian regime is conducing another post-surrender evacuation in the besieged Homs suburb of al-Waer, which has been subjected to relentless shelling and sniper attacks on a daily basis. 

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Syria conflict: Life in besieged Homs district – BBC News

What is it like when finding food is a daily struggle? A rare glimpse at the besieged rebel-held Homs district of al-Waer.

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Sep 22, 2016 09:37 (GMT)

The evacuation deal was agreed on September 1, with civilians and fighters to be bussed to rebel-held areas of the Idlib province.
The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), whose local director was killed in Monday night’s convoy attack, has also participated in the evacuation of al-Waer:

But while aid agencies are being allowed to operate under the auspices of the regime and Russian military, civilians in rebel-held territory have been subjected to devastating air strikes.

With clear disregard for yesterday’s calls from international leaders, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, for air operations to be halted, the Russian military conducted an intense bombardment of northern Syria last night.

Incendiary weapons were used extensively.

This footage is from Kafr Dael, a town about 5 kilometres outside Aleppo city:

Bustan al-Qasr inside the city:

According to the LCC, 52 people were killed yesterday n the Aleppo region, most of them in Khan Touman, with another 23 fatalities in Idlib, where the evacuees from al-Waer are being sent.

The LCC reports further Russian and regime air strikes today on Aleppo city, causing civilian casualties, as well as a renewed push against rebel fighters in the mountains of Latakia, where fierce clashes are reported.

— Pierre Vaux