UN alarmed over Aleppo atrocities

Ersin Çelik
08:4813/12/2016, Salı
U: 13/12/2016, Salı
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Global body's chief in 'grave concern' over attacks in recent hours against civilians in Syrian city

The United Nations Secretary-General is "alarmed over reports of atrocities" against "large number of civilians" in Syria's Aleppo, according to a statement issued late Monday.



"While stressing that the United Nations is not able to independently verify these reports, the Secretary-General is conveying his grave concern to the relevant parties," the statement said.



UN humanitarian adviser on Syria, Jan Egeland, said earlier in the day the Syrian regime and Russia were responsible for atrocities committed by militias in Aleppo.



"The Gov'ts of Syria amp; Russia are accountable for any and all atrocities that the victorious militias in Aleppo are now committing!" Egeland tweeted.



Despite Russian assertions last week that the Syrian regime would halt attacks on eastern Aleppo to allow civilians to leave besieged areas, Iran-affiliated Shia militias are hindering them from doing so, according to local sources.



An estimated 100,000 city residents remain under siege by the regime and its allies in some 8.6 square kilometers of eastern Aleppo.



Over the course of the last 27 days, some 990 civilians have been killed in eastern Aleppo in attacks by the Syrian regime and allied militias, local sources report.



The recent escalation comes amid attempts by the Russia-backed Assad regime to reestablish control over parts of Aleppo captured four years ago by armed opposition groups.



Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which had erupted as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.



Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions more displaced by the conflict.






#Jan Egeland
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