Fighting erupts again in Aleppo

HEAVY clashes erupted between regime and rebel forces in Syria’s divided city of Aleppo after a “humanitarian” ceasefire announced by government ally Russia expired before the UN could evacuate wounded civilians from rebelheld areas.

Moscow had extended the “humanitarian pause” into a third day but announced no further renewal, as fierce fighting broke in several areas along the front line dividing the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported yesterday.

Three people were wounded by shelling of the rebel-held Salaheddin and Al-Mashhad districts, they said, adding that the first air strikes since the end of the truce hit the opposition-controlled district of Sheikh Saeed, where there was also heavy fighting. A correspondent in rebel-held eastern districts also reported sounds of fighting and artillery fire.

Neither residents nor rebels of opposition-held districts heeded calls from Syria’s army and Moscow to leave during the ceasefire, after weeks of devastating bombardment and a three-month siege.

The army opened eight corridors for evacuations but just a handful of people crossed.

“Members of popular civil committees from regime districts entered the eastern neighbourhoods to try to evacuate the injured but failed,” Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman said yesterday.

Syrian state media and Russian authorities have accused rebels in the east of preventing civilians from leaving and using them as “human shields”.