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25 civilians killed in militant attacks in Aleppo

Saturday, 30 April 2016 6:24 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 30 April 2016 6:21 PM ]

This photo released by Syria's official SANA news agency on April 30, 2016, shows rescue workers carrying a civilian injured in a rocket attack by militants in Aleppo.

Over two dozen civilians have been killed during the past 24 hours in attacks by militants on residential neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo in northwestern Syria.

Syria’s official SANA news agency said on Saturday that at least 25 people were killed in militant rocket attacks on the two neighborhoods of Neel and Hamadaniyeh in 24 hours.

The report quoted sources in Aleppo Police Command as saying that militants from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front were behind the attacks. The toll included six people from attacks a day earlier who died in hospitals on Saturday.

Officials said attacks were also carried out on areas surrounding the Municipal Palace and Saadallah al-Jabiri Square in the city, causing some injuries and inflicting losses on public and private properties.

Fighting has surged in Aleppo over the past few days despite a truce deal which came into effect late February through the mediation of the United States and Russia in an attempt to facilitate peace talks between the warring sides.

Militants shelled a mosque in a government-held area of Aleppo on Friday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 30. State TV said the attack on the Malla Khan mosque in the Bab al-Faraj neighborhood and its surroundings came when the worshipers were leaving after Friday prayers.

The Syrian government says stopping strikes on militant-held areas of Aleppo could embolden terrorists who control several neighborhoods in the city to launch even more attacks on areas under the control of government forces.

Aleppo has been divided between the government forces and militants since 2012, a year after the conflict broke out in the Arab country. Dozens have been killed in renewed clashes over the past few days as warnings are high that a human tragedy may unfold in the city.

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