28 Mar 2024
Wednesday 4 May 2016 - 15:24
Story Code : 212513

Aleppo: The massacre of politics

A death toll of More than 100 civilians dead and over 500 others wounded as a result of terrorists' shelling over the city of Aleppo, a list is on a rise within the continued attacks and violations of cessation of hostilities agreement that was reached last February.

Eastern side of Aleppo which is under militants' control, basically Bani Zeid, Old Aleppo and demarcation eastern areas were the base of 1200 shells varied from Mortars, Grad missiles, and the Gas Jars which are local made and have a major capability of destruction also Internationally prohibited were enough to cripple life in the western neighborhoods of the city, where Syria's Government controls, caused the destruction of 12 mosques and 4 schools were semi destructed too.

These shells were a prelude of a major attack by Operation Center of Aleppo that contains biggest rebels groups, most of them are al-Nusra affiliated, like Jaysh al-Mujahedin, Jaysh al-Islam, Noor al-Deen Azzenki, and the banner of Sultan Murad which is directed and supported by Turkish intelligence.

Meanwhile, Syrian Army and its allies, Iranians, Russians and other forces have mobilized to launch a major military operation to recapture Aleppo country side. Taking control over Aleppo's countryside will end the Turkish intention to expand in the Northern of Syria, or at least to keep the area under its authority.

During the last two months, specifically since the cessation of hostilities that has begun previously, Nusra and other extremist groups have mobilized too, to begin battle to take control over Aleppo, the second biggest city in Syria, using the continued support to the extremists by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other states, who supplied these groups with different kinds of missiles, thus these groups were getting ready to change the rules of Aleppo's battles, and to change demarcation lines there.

These preparations have been clarified during the last few days of raising the intensity of fighting by extremists who tried to infiltrate to the western neighborhoods of Aleppo through Arrashedin-4 Area, using Drainage channels, but Syrian Army and allies defeated repelled the attacks, and to announce later of recovering more than 40 bodies of the attackers, which also drove militants to switch the nights of truce to a bloody madness toward residential areas in Aleppo, like al-Ashrafieh, al-Midan, al-Jamilieh, Halab al-Jadideh.

In March 2016, extremist groups including Nusra group attacked al-Ees village in Aleppo's southern countryside violating the truce, they retook control over the village and al-Ees hill after a heavy battles, which started using suicide bombers, who attacked Syrian Army's and Hezbollah's positions in the area, where the gate to the southern country side of Aleppo is, in addition, al-ees hill is the highest in the area, and forms with other hills a separation line between Aleppo and Edlib provinces and strategic position for supervising over Edlib eastern countryside what allows Syrian Army to monitor militants movements in Saraqeb, as well as it oversees Damascus- Aleppo highway.

Four months of siege in 2013 were totally enough to enhance the split inside the city of Aleppo, the western neighborhoods, under rebels groups control, were being supplied with all life essentials, while pro-government neighborhoods' residents, they had to cross "the passage of death" or Boustan al-Qasr passage, the passage that was guarded by snipers and separates pro-Government and pro-opposition areas, to prevent people from passing to other side.

Every day during the months of siege, a death toll of sniper victims were on rise in Boustan al-Qasr other were being kidnapped or being arrested by extremists, for exceeding the allowed weight or amount of food, especially bread, what also forced people to smuggle what they need.

All the tragedy of Aleppo started on July 19th 2012 when insurgents attacked the city of Aleppo, and controlled neighbors in the city, especially the historical sites in city what is locally known as "Old Aleppo", using these areas to penetrate to other neighborhood taking advantage of the nature of the ancient area which Is consisted of old terraced houses and taking archeological sites as a shield that prevent Government forces of attacking extremists groups.

Before the crisis began in 2011, Aleppo was living its golden age, the second largest city in Syria and the capital of Syrian economy what means it carried over 70% of the industrial process in Syria, with a remarkable quality, especially the unique famous fabrics, all that went to an end when the insurgents broke into Industrial city of Sheikh Najjar, destroying, dismantling and stealing more than 1000 factories then smuggling them to Turkey with more than 300 billion$ of losses.

Further, War transferred Aleppo from a city that is filled of life never sleeps, to a city that live with the power of centricity generators which end Aleppo's day at 01:00 am, due to the power outages as a result of continues attacks towards thermal plant, which was under militants control till February 2016. It turned from a city that depends on night life that is mixed with events of traditional songs that is Aleppo is also famous for in Arab states. But now it's a different Aleppo, where it hard to recognize songs and bombs sounds, to afflicted and tired city t hat carries the wounds of 5 years of devastating war and the burden of political Enticements and great powers conflict.

This article was written by Zahraa Alderzi for American Herald Tribune on May 3, 2016.Zahraa Alderzi is a Syrian Journalist started her career in 2014 by working as a freelance correspondent for Press TV in Syria.
https://theiranproject.com/vdcdfx0xsyt0fk6.em2y.html
Your Name
Your Email Address