Severe Clashes in Aleppo and Idlib; 'Over 180 Civilians Killed in Two Days'

Reports from Syria indicate that fierce battles are ongoing in Aleppo and Idlib. According to local reports, over 180 civilians have been killed in the past two days, mainly in Aleppo. Aleppo is the largest city in Syria, where rebels still control parts of it. The 'Local Coordination Committees', a war opposition NGO active in Syria, states that over 180 civilians were killed from Friday to Sunday (August 22-24) during Russian airstrikes and attacks by Bashar al-Assad's army, as well as rebel assaults. Among the dead are 22 children and 23 women. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, also reports that 26 airstrikes occurred in Idlib on Sunday alone, with 122 civilians losing their lives over the past two weeks. According to the Associated Press, Rami Abdulrahman, the head of this organization, stated that these airstrikes were carried out by Russian fighter jets and the Syrian government army. The Syrian Observatory reports that the number of civilian casualties in Aleppo has exceeded 320 in the past two weeks, with 126 of the victims being children. Additionally, 126 civilians were killed during missile attacks by rebels on government-controlled areas. Intense fighting has occurred in Aleppo in recent days. An alliance of rebels, including groups like Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) and Ahrar al-Sham, as well as some forces of the 'Free Syrian Army', announced in mid-August that they had broken the siege around them. They then declared their readiness for a large-scale operation aimed at complete control of Aleppo. Meanwhile, reports of chemical bombardments in parts of the city by the Syrian government army have also emerged. Reuters reports that intense clashes and battles occurred on Sunday in various areas of Aleppo, with rebels attacking two important centers under government control: the al-Zahra neighborhood and a cement factory in the south of the city. The al-Zahra area includes both residential and military bases. Government forces and pro-Assad militias also seized buildings in the 1070 complex in southwestern Aleppo, which is near the entrance to the rebel-controlled area. A group of rebels has stated that they have asked fighters present in Idlib to reach Aleppo. This comes as Fars News Agency reported last week that hundreds of Iraqi and Lebanese Shiite militants have been dispatched to Aleppo to assist Syrian government forces. According to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for 'Ahrar al-Sham', a Salafi rebel group, stated that the battle for Aleppo concerns all of Syria. Reports indicate that clashes are also ongoing between Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels around a military base in Hama province. In this context, the United Nations reports that two million people in Aleppo lack access to drinking water and electricity. Assad's opponents claim that areas in Aleppo have been subjected to chemical bombardment by the Syrian army. The Martyrs Foundation covers '400 families' of those killed in Syria. A new attack by Kurdish Peshmerga against ISIS positions in Mosul has begun.