Syrian regime forces reportedly began their advance on the city of Aleppo, after a multi-day humanitarian pause.
Russia recently built up a large naval force on the Mediterranean sea. “Russia is preparing to escalate its military operations in Syria in order to tout its standing as a great power, reinforce its claims to be a credible partner against violent extremism, and reinvigorate domestic support for its continued participation in the Syrian Civil War,” The Institute for the Study Of War (ISW) warned Friday.
The offensive comes just days after Syrian rebels launched their last stand in Eastern Aleppo. Assad and his allies justify their indiscriminate bombing campaign on Aleppo, and its besiegement as a counter-terrorism tactic. The United Nations estimates nearly 275,000 civilians remain in rebel-held Aleppo, with no access to humanitarian aid. The U.S. accused Russia of bombing a UN humanitarian aid convoy bound for Aleppo in late September, after a U.S. brokered ceasefire collapsed.
The offensive could spell the deaths of the nearly 275,000 civilians remaining in the city of Aleppo.
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