President of the Syrian Coalition Anas Alabdah said that Syrian rebels and FSA fighters have moved to the next stage in their offensive to break the siege on the eastern parts of Aleppo, which is the liberation of the entire city.
At a joint news conference with head of the Syrian interim government Jawad Abu Hatab and head of Idlib provincial council Ghassan Hamou earlier on Monday, Alabdah confirmed that rebels and FSA groups have already reassured residents in the regime-held parts of the city that they will be protected. There is still an opportunity for regime officers and soldiers to defect and join the revolution, Alabdah added.
“Important measures need to be taken by the United Nations and the International Syria Support Group if they were serious about bringing about a political transition in Syria. The Syrian opposition has proved it is serious to resolve the conflict through actions not just words,” Alabdah said.
Alabdah called upon the international community to act to deter the Assad regime and Russia from targeting hospitals and to prevent the use of internationally banned weapons in attacks on rebel-held areas across Syria. He cited the recent airstrikes on Idlib and Darya in which thermite was used in airstrikes by the Russian air force.
Alabdah also called for action to protect the lives of hundreds of detainees in Suweida Central Prison and the lives of thousands of civilians trapped in besieged areas.
Head of the Syrian interim government Jawad Abu Hatab said that plans to provide better services to the civilian population in Aleppo and Idlib have been developed in coordination with local councils in these two provinces. He noted that the interim government is coordinating with the Aleppo free police to enforce law and order in the streets of Aleppo and Idlib provinces.
Abu Hatab denounced the Assad regime’s policy of imposing blockades on liberated areas across Syria, noting that this policy is a war crime that contravenes International Law and International Humanitarian Law. He also condemned the bombing of medical facilities by the Assad regime and Russian forces, adding that the actions of the Assad regime and Russia amount to ethnic cleansing.
Abu Hatab criticized the international community’s silence over the terrible crimes that have been committed by the Assad regime for over five years. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
