Secretary of the Syrian Coalition’s political committee Riad Hassan said that Russia is desperate to prevent the collapse of regime forces in Aleppo, adding that Russian firepower over the past few weeks has been dedicated mainly to help regime forces fully encircle the rebel-held parts of the city.
Hassan warned of Russian attempts to force residents of the city out of their homes through establishing the so-called “safe passages” which are designed to bring about demographic change in the city.
The Syrian Committee for Human Rights (SCHR) on Wednesday said it had documented no fewer than 68 massacres mostly by regime and Russian forces against civilians across Syria during the month of July. Over 2,120 people, including 365 children and 207 women, were killed across Syria in July. Airstrikes by regime and Russian fighter jets have been concentrated on the city and countryside of Aleppo, the network added.
Hassan criticized the international community’s and the UN’s negative reaction towards Russia’s continued aggression on Syria, stressing that their silence over Russia’s intervention in Syria was understood as a license to kill more Syrians.
The Assad regime is now entirely subservient to the Russians who are helping him cling to power, Hassan said. Russia’s intervention in Syria encouraged Assad to kick the political transition talks into the long grass, he added.
Hassan called upon all rebel and FSA groups in Syria to unite in the face of the vicious attacks by the Russian and Assad regime forces on the Syrian people, stressing the need to lift the siege on civilians in Aleppo and then push on to liberate the entire city. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
