Assad Regime Continues Bombing of Ancient City of Aleppo
May 30, 2014
Some 2,000 people, including 283 women and 567 children, have been killed so far this year by Syrian government air attacks in the northern city of Aleppo, reports the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based human rights group. The Syrian air force has dropped “barrel bombs” on the city in the government’s attempt to put down the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad. Barrel bombs, packed with explosives, are a crude and highly inaccurate weapon, generally rolled out of helicopters from a high altitude. They inflict massive damage, often devastating entire neighborhoods in the densely built-up areas of Aleppo controlled by rebel forces. The fighting in Aleppo has damaged much of the Old City, including the citadel and the suq, which are both UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Both rebels and government troops have for months attempted to end the stalemate in Aleppo, where the front lines have moved little in more than two years of fighting. Rebel-held areas of Aleppo have been subjected to fierce aerial bombardment since mid-December.
The forces of President Bashar al-Assad have destroyed much of the ancient city of Aleppo in their attempt to put down a rebellion. (AP/Wide World)
The rebellion in Syria, which led to the civil war, began in March 2011. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights–which has a network of activists in Syria reporting on the war–has tabulated that more than 162,000 people have been killed in the three-year conflict.
Additional World Book articles:
- Syria 2011 (a Back in Time article)
- Syria 2012 (a Back in Time article)
- Syria 2013 (a Back in Time article)
- Syria: The Roots of a Rebellion (a special report)
