SYRIA’S war is now into its sixth year. Even when it seems it could not get any worse, it does. On May 31st air strikes around the national hospital in Idlib, a rebel-held part of north-western Syria, destroyed one of the few remaining health-care facilities in opposition territory. At least 23 people died and scores were injured in strikes allegedly carried out by Russia, which joined the war last year to prop up Bashar al-Assad, the country’s blood-spattered dictator.
The strikes occurred despite the declaration of a ceasefire that supposedly came into force on February 27th, and in the face of unconvincing Syrian and Russian claims that their bombs are aimed only at extremists. In fact Mr Assad and his allies appear to be intensifying a strategy of squeezing the moderate opposition and deliberately targeting civilians who live in rebel-held areas. Human-rights groups protest that the rules of war are being brazenly flouted.
As worrying is an offensive by jihadists of Islamic State (IS), who have been closing in on Azaz and Marea, two towns north of Aleppo close to the Turkish border. These bastions of the opposition are...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/24kJmcM
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