Syrian forces tighten siege of rebel-held areas in Aleppo
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — As wave after wave of bombs fell on areas of eastern Aleppo in Syria, ground forces loyal to the Syrian government seized a rebel-held neighborhood on Saturday, intensifying the siege against the rebels and the many civilians who live among them.
The advance was the first sign that an intensive bombing campaign by Syrian and Russian jets that began Thursday night was working to bolster the position of the Syrian government’s forces. Diplomatic failures
Since a cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia collapsed last week, the Syrian government has made no secret of its intention to use military force to crush its enemies.
At the United Nations on Saturday, Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al- Moallem, said the army was “making great strides in its war against terrorism,” thanks to support from Russia, Iran and fighters from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
Throughout the fiveyear conflict, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced half the population, Syrian officials have dismissed the rebels as foreign-backed “terrorists” seeking to destroy the country.
The United States has blamed President Bashar Assad for most of his citizens’ deaths but has not launched a direct military intervention against him. Nor has the United States found a diplomatic means to end the violence or ensure aid reaches besieged civilians.
Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday called the situation in Aleppo “unacceptable.”
“It is beyond the pale,” Kerry said at Tufts Univer- sity, before a meeting with European foreign ministers. “If people are serious about wanting a peaceful outcome to this war, then they should cease and desist bombing innocent women and children, cease cutting off water and laying siege to an entire community, and work with the international community in order to be able to bring peace to people who are starving.” Humanitarian crisis
The recent bombing campaign has exacerbated the humanitarian situation in rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo, which have been surrounded and cut off from aid.
On Saturday, large bombs left craters in roads, destroyed buildings and buried residents in rubble. More than 45 people were killed in the city and at least seven others in the countryside, according to conflict monitors and rescue squads.