Syrian War Worsens As Proposed Ceasefire Draws Near
The fighting in Syria does not seem to have abated despite a recent diplomatic understanding reached by the world's major powers on planned truce that would temporarily halt hostilities in Syria and allow humanitarian agencies to distribute aid.
In fact, ground offensives by the Assad-led regime bolstered by Russian airstrikes are giving the Syrian military a strategic and tactical upper hand in the battle for Aleppo. As government forces moved closer to encircle the city, tens of thousands of refugees are massing toward the border with Turkey.
"Fighting and airstrikes continued elsewhere in the country Sunday, including in rebel-held suburbs of the capital Damascus. Opposition activists reported Syrian army helicopters dropped around 10 barrel bombs on the town of Daraya," the Associated Press reported as quoted in a news story by NPR.
As Russian-backed Syrian government forces succeeded in cutting Aleppo off from its supply links in Turkey, hundreds of thousands more will be trapped without basic access to food and medicine.
Meanwhile, recent updates confirmed 23 civilians dead including 2 children as missiles hit three medical facilities and a school in two rebel-held Syrian towns as government forces inch even deeper toward Aleppo under the de facto control of fragmented rebel forces.
"We have been moving scores of screaming children from the hospital," said medic Juma Rahal as quoted in a report by the Reuters.
The US State Department quickly issued a statement of condemnation of the indiscriminate airstrikes resulting to a significant loss of civilian lives.
"That the Assad regime and its supporters would continue these attacks...without sufficient regard for international obligations to safeguard innocent lives...casts doubt on Russia's willingness and/or ability to help bring to a stop the continued brutality of the Assad regime against its own people," said the US State Department spokesman John Kirby in an apparent condemnation of Russian-backed Syria missile attacks as mentioned in a CNN report.
