ALEPPO: Syria’s regime intensified airstrikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo province Monday as a UN envoy prepared to meet US and Russian officials to try to revive peace talks.
France called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Aleppo city after civilian deaths in the provincial capital and after four hospitals were bombed there on Sunday.
On Monday, airstrikes and barrel bombs killed 22 civilians in rebel-held parts of the northern province, and rebel rocket fire on government areas killed three more, a monitor said.
The bombardment came as UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura was expected to meet top US and Russian officials in Geneva on Tuesday with the aim of reviving peace talks to end the five-year conflict. French Ambassador to the UN Francois Delattre compared Aleppo’s plight to that of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war, and said “the Security Council simply cannot accept such war crimes — yes war crimes — to repeat again.”
Syria and its allies are “determined to besiege, starve and bomb Aleppo until they reach their military goal — eradicating the opposition — this is what the siege is all about,” Delattre said.
Britain’s UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said: “Enough is enough now.”
US mission spokesman Paul Patin said Washington’s special envoy for Syria Michael Ratney would be at Tuesday’s meeting in Geneva.
Russia’s Ria-Novosti news agency said deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov would represent Moscow.
France called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Aleppo city after civilian deaths in the provincial capital and after four hospitals were bombed there on Sunday.
On Monday, airstrikes and barrel bombs killed 22 civilians in rebel-held parts of the northern province, and rebel rocket fire on government areas killed three more, a monitor said.
The bombardment came as UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura was expected to meet top US and Russian officials in Geneva on Tuesday with the aim of reviving peace talks to end the five-year conflict. French Ambassador to the UN Francois Delattre compared Aleppo’s plight to that of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war, and said “the Security Council simply cannot accept such war crimes — yes war crimes — to repeat again.”
Syria and its allies are “determined to besiege, starve and bomb Aleppo until they reach their military goal — eradicating the opposition — this is what the siege is all about,” Delattre said.
Britain’s UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said: “Enough is enough now.”
US mission spokesman Paul Patin said Washington’s special envoy for Syria Michael Ratney would be at Tuesday’s meeting in Geneva.
Russia’s Ria-Novosti news agency said deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov would represent Moscow.
