Three people were killed and 27 others injured, including three children, as militants shelled western Aleppo, an RT correspondent has reported from the besieged Syrian city. The attack took place during a 48-hour ‘humanitarian pause’ by Russian and Syrian forces.
All those killed in Aleppo’s Jamiliya neighborhood were adult males, RT’s Murad Gazdiev reported.
The militants, including Al-Nusra Front jihadists, who control the eastern part of Aleppo, have intensified the shelling of areas controlled by government forces in recent days.
Three people were killed and 23 wounded in a mortar attack, coming from the positions of the militants, on Sunday.
The Russian and Syrian Air Forces halted their strikes in Aleppo on Tuesday to allow people to leave the city and aid to be delivered.
The 48-hour ‘humanitarian pause,’ which was initially planned for Thursday, was organized ahead of schedule, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.
“There’s been a lot of shelling today. It never really stopped. We’ve heard exploding shots coming from the rebels every half an hour or so,” Gazdiev said.
“Most of the shells that hit today struck roofs and empty squares,” but one of the projectiles landed in a crowded public square, he said.
“Three dead, 27 injured, including three children,” the correspondent said of the casualties.
Gazdiev visited the hospital where the injured were taken, saying that “it’s pretty hectic here. There’s blood all over the place and frenzied activity.”
He said that, despite the militant activity, “it’s been very quiet” on the side of the Russian and Syrian Air Forces, which announced a humanitarian pause on Tuesday.
Hospital administrator Muhammad Batykh told RT that five mortar shells exploded in the Jamiliya neighborhood at around 17:15 local time.
“Twenty-eight people were delivered to our hospital, while three people have died. Two people are now in intensive care with severe wounds. Three victims with head, chest and jaw traumas are undergoing surgery. There are three children among the injured, they suffered moderate wounds,” Batykh said.
‘They attack our area because it’s densely populated’ – survivor
A survivor of the attack told RT about what he had gone through during the shelling.
A projectile landed just few meters from his car, which was parked near his house in the Jamiliya neighborhood. As he was attempting to drive away with his daughter, another projectile hit the area, killing a man standing nearby and injuring him.
“I was injured, and I was brought here [to the hospital] in an ambulance. That is what had happened,” the eyewitness said.
“I don’t remember anything more. I think I kept walking… I was still moving when people gave me first aid and transferred me here.”
The survivor believes his neighborhood was attacked because it houses civilian infrastructure and is home to many local residents, which make them an easy target for terrorists.
“This neighborhood often comes under shelling now, although before it was one of the safest places. The population density is very high here. People go shopping, there is a big market and a residential neighborhood near it, that’s why it is a constant target for attacks.”