De Mistura: The Volume of Rocket Attacks by Syrian Rebels in Aleppo is Astonishing

The UN representative for Syria states that the volume of rockets fired by Syrian rebels towards predominantly civilian areas in government-controlled sections of Aleppo is 'astonishing and frightening.' These remarks were made on November 1, during the third day of a major operation by Syrian rebels to break the siege of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, reports that at least 17 children and a total of 41 civilians have lost their lives in these three days. The monitoring group also states that hundreds of rockets have been launched. Stefan de Mistura, referring to the rebels' operations, says, 'Those who claim that these battles are necessary to break the siege of Aleppo must remember that nothing justifies the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of weapons, including heavy weaponry, against civilians, and such actions can be considered a war crime.' Reports indicate that the attacks on government areas in Aleppo have intensified unusually; the Associated Press quotes Imad Khal, a resident of western Aleppo, stating that there have been severe and continuous rocket attacks over the past three days. A reporter from Syrian state television also mentioned in a video on his Facebook page that for the first time in the government-controlled area, there is 'very loud and intense fighting.' Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, states that nearly a thousand members of the Syrian army's artillery units have been dispatched from central regions of the country to Aleppo. He also mentions that between 2,000 to 2,500 rebels have participated in the new operations. Abdulrahman adds that there are reports of a group of civilians experiencing 'respiratory problems' following the rebels' attack in the 'Hamdaniah' area on Sunday. However, the director of the Syrian Observatory is unable to confirm or deny whether toxic gas was used in the attacks. The Syrian state news agency has accused the rebels of this, while a spokesperson for the rebel groups has denied the allegation. The rebels conducting operations to break the siege from eastern Aleppo are mainly members of groups like the Al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda branch in Syria, or Salafi groups like Ahrar al-Sham. Control of Aleppo is divided between the Syrian army and armed forces allied with Bashar al-Assad, and on the other hand, the rebels. The city itself has been under siege by government forces, except for brief interruptions. Stefan de Mistura stated on Sunday to reporters that civilians on both sides of Aleppo have suffered the most from the futile, yet deadly, struggle for control of the city: 'They have the right to a lasting ceasefire in this ancient city.'