Chemical attack on Aleppo is possible; ring of fire tightens around the rebel-held quarters following the fall of the last lifeline from Turkey into the regime's hands
The former
Chairman of the Military Committee in Aleppo, Zahir Sakit, said that Russian planes are highly likely to drop chemical weapons on rebel-held quarters if the opposition fails to break the siege by pro-goverment forces and its allies.
“Russian Army have established facilities to store chemical weapons on their military bases in Tartus, Daba, Hımeymin, Shairat regions. Considering the course of the war, they may use high-explosive chemical bombs in the strikes that they will launch in the rebel-held regions," Sakit said, speaking to Turkey's Yeni Şafak newspaper.
Panic and chaos have gripped Aleppo, still home to 500,000 civilians, as government forces and Iran militia intensified co-ordinated assults that targeted the rebel-held settlement areas in the northern Syrian province.
The biggest drive of soaring panic has stemmed from cutoff of the last main supply route, linking Aleppo to the Turkish border, by Russian-backed pro-regime forces. City residents are scrambling to evacacute their homes to be able to cross into Turkey before the regime takes control of rebel-held Bab al-Hawa border crossing, which is anticipated.
Currently, the Bab al-Hawa border crossing in Syria is the last rebel-held border gate with Turkey after the rebels lost control of the northern border post of Bab al-Salam.
Aleppo have endured for five years of thunderous bombardement by the regime strike aircrafts, armed with munitions like phosporous bombs, vaccuum bombs and barrel bombs.
Since the last week, predominantly Turkmen quarters in central Aleppo have become vulnerable targets for the heaviest-ever air strikes over the last five years. Attacks using barrel bombs dropped from the pro-regime planes have ruined utterly the quarters of Haydariyah, Bostan Pasha, Shaikh Hidir, Holluk.
In an interview with Yeni Şafak, Abdulaziz Magribi, the governor of Aleppo, said that a coalition of Russia and Syria have aimed to massacre all civilians in the mostly-ruined province. “They have encircled the city to kill all of us through air strikes. We are starved to death in the besieged Aleppo," the governor asserted.
“The world leaders are a silent bystander to the plight of thousands of civilians and their ordeal to survive."
Meanwhile, a huge wave of refugee is imminant to mass along the border with Turkey if the Syrian rebel groups fail to break the siege around Aleppo by troops, loyals to Assad, and Iranian militia.
Over 20,000 displaced peopled, still wait cross into Turkey through the Bab al-Salam border gate, according to UN. Another 10,000 displaced people have been reportedly walking to Azaz, close to the Turkish border.
An estimated 200,000 have reportedly fled fighting in northern Aleppo. Turkey might have to cope with larger wave of refugee If government troops, backed by Russian air forces, continue to make serious gains in Aleppo. More than 200,000 are anticipated to flee from besieged Aleppo if the rebel fail to break the threat waves that surrounded the city.
