Aleppo reduced to only ruins

Western Aleppo bares the marks of destruction, as the Syrian regime and its allies consistently launched attacks on civilians and opposition fighters, driving the people of Aleppo into an ever-smaller area of land.

The community areas in the Khan al-Assal district, such as schools and mosques, were destroyed as a result of airstrikes. In 2013, a chemical attack and massacre that took place in the Khan al-Assal district foretold the area's fate.

The Assad regime's attacks systematically targeted utilities and other sources for life sustenance. Schools, bakeries, hospitals were among the first targets. The attacks have also targeted electricity transmission lines, adding further difficulty to the daily life of the locals. Cluster bombs can be observed in many areas where airstrikes have occurred.

Upon the realization that unmanned aerial vehicles were also scanning the region, units belonging to the Free Syrian Army (FSA) have been and are still positioned ready to defend the region.

The civil war in Syria, which has resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of people, has also destroyed the landscape and cultural treasures. The Umayyad Mosque, the symbolic city of Aleppo, was on UNESCO's cultural heritage list. The mosque, dating from the 11th century, was destroyed during the war.