The Syrian regime’s key ally Russia launched heavy airstrikes Tuesday night on the outskirts of divided Aleppo city, slowing a “last-chance” assault by rebels seeking to break a government siege.
The assault began on Sunday and is intended to ease the encirclement of the opposition-held east of Aleppo city, where an estimated 250,000 residents have been under a regime siege since July 17.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights described it as the largest rebel attack in Aleppo since 2012, when fighting reached the city and left it roughly divided between the opposition control in the east and regime forces in the west.
But government troops backed by Russia’s air force have put up a fierce defense, the monitor said.
“The Russian raids didn’t stop all night on the front lines” there, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
“This has slowed the offensive and allowed regime troops to retake five of the eight positions that rebels had taken since Sunday,” he added.
The strikes came despite an appeal by US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday for Russia to “restrain” itself and its ally in Damascus from “offensive operations.”
Kerry said regime attacks had prevented the warring parties from meeting for negotiations on Monday, the target date set for the regime and opposition forces to agree on the framework of a political transition.
The Aleppo offensive groups fighters from Fateh Al-Sham Front, formerly Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, as well as the powerful Ahrar Al-Sham and other factions.
The Observatory said 50 rebels and allied extremists had been killed since the operation began on Sunday, as well as dozens of regime troops.
Its main target is the government-held district of Ramussa, on the southwest outskirts of Aleppo.

Source: Arab News