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RT crew attacked as militants launch massive new assault

RT’s Murad Gazdiev and his crew came under fire in Aleppo as militant groups holding the eastern part of the city launched a new assault on government-held western areas, trying to break the blockade, after rejecting an offer to leave the city with their arms.



The neighborhood “has been relatively quiet for the past two days and we wanted to see what was happening there,” RT’s Gazdiev reported from Aleppo. “There are still dozens of civilians there, not everyone managed to leave.”

“We filmed many other civilians, dozens and dozens with children, some of the children, injured by this shelling trying to get out, sprinting in panic,” Gazdiev added, describing the shelling as “some of the heaviest” for a long time.

The rebels apparently launched a major new offensive against the government-held part of the city, radio communications intercepted by the Syrian military indicate.

“There were apparently two or three suicide car bombs blown up very close to us. We hid. We saw many shells landing meters away from us,” Gazdiev said.

Although the number of casualties and wounded has not been revealed, RT’s crew was informed that many civilians, including children, were being treated at hospitals for shrapnel and mortar wounds in the aftermath of the attack.

“When we got out of there [the Al-Assad neighborhood], we got a call that there were casualties at the hospitals, we went there, we filmed many, many people at the hospital… the children, the adults – all with shrapnel injuries, mortar round injuries,” Gazdiev said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian military said that last week’s attempts by the militants to break through the blockade around the city had failed, and suggested that they leave Aleppo through one of two corridors opened for that purpose.

Russia and Syria halted airstrikes on eastern Aleppo two weeks ago amid a flurry of criticism from the West over civilian casualties in the city. Moscow said civilians were being held by the militants as human shields, but agreed to keep warplanes away from the city.

The offer to leave Aleppo by Friday night was rejected by some groups controlling the eastern part of the city.

Russia’s earlier attempts to allow militants to leave and civilians to be evacuated from eastern Aleppo were thwarted by the more belligerent groups, which opened fire at anyone trying to use the corridors – both those meant for armed people and unarmed civilians.

https://www.rt.com/news/365207-aleppo-m ... -blockade/

Syria: 'Final truce chance' for Aleppo rebels begins

Russian and Syrian government forces have begun a 10-hour ceasefire in the city of Aleppo to allow rebels and civilians to leave besieged areas.

Russia has said this pause will be the last chance for rebels to leave eastern districts in safety.

The rebels have rejected the offer and have been continuing a counter-offensive aimed at breaking the siege.

About 250,000 people remain trapped and are enduring food and medical shortages as well as intensive bombing.

A BBC correspondent in Aleppo says the battle in the city is escalating, with the government determined to recapture districts still outside their control while the rebel forces do not want to lose their last remaining foothold in a major Syrian city.

The so-called "humanitarian pause" is the second time Russia and the Syrian government have said passages are open for evacuations, but their last unilateral ceasefire in October ended with almost no-one leaving over three days.

Rebels can leave unharmed and with their weapons using two specially created corridors between 09:00 and 19:00 (06:00 and 16:00 GMT), the Russian defence ministry said. Six other routes were to be opened for civilians.

Russian and Syrian warplanes are expected to resume attacks on rebel areas when the truce ends.

Rebel attacks

On Thursday rebels in east Aleppo increased their attacks on western government-held areas of the city.

State media said at least 12 people had died and 200 were injured in rocket fire, gunfire and car bombs.

Government forces have been besieging the rebel-held east almost continually since July.

Meanwhile 300km (185 miles) to the north, a Russian helicopter was damaged by mortar fire while delivering aid, near Palmyra in Homs province, the country's military said.

It could not fly back to base but the crew were rescued and are safe.

The so-called Islamic State group may be behind the attack. It claimed to have shot down a Russian attack helicopter in Homs province in a strike which it said killed the crew.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-37869457