Militant attacks kill 12 civilians across Syria

Militants have launched fresh rounds of attacks on civilians and security forces across Syria, killing at least 12 and injuring a number of others.

The Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen TV said that rounds of shelling by militants on two residential neighborhoods in the northern city of Aleppo left 11 people dead, including women and children.

The report said the rocket attacks targeted al-Neel Street and the New Aleppo neighborhood, saying fatalities came mainly due to the destruction of houses in those areas.

Syria’s official SANA agency said rocket shells also fell in al-Hamadaniyeh neighborhood of Aleppo, inflicting losses on private and public properties. It said the attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra and other armed groups operating inside and near Aleppo.

SANA said militants from Nusra and the so-called Ahrar al-Sham group also launched rounds of mortar attacks on al-Sqeilbiyeh city and al-Jaberiyeh village in Hama province, again in north Syria, killing one civilian and injuring four others.

It said four of the shells hit residential neighborhoods, while the other 10 fell in the surroundings of the cities and villages located in the northwestern countryside of Hama.

The attacks came one day after four residential neighborhoods of Aleppo and two in and around the capital Damascus were targeted by militants, leading to four deaths.

Syrian officials say the attacks show lack of seriousness in the opposition to respect a truce deal which is currently holding in the Arab country. The ceasefire, which was brokered by the United States and Russia in late February, was meant to facilitate ongoing peace talks in Switzerland between the government and the foreign-backed opposition. The deal excludes al-Nusra Front and Daesh.

Damascus and militant groups involved in the ceasefire have been trading accusations of truce violation.

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