Aleppo hospital bombing a 'war crime'
France has described the latest attack on an Aleppo hospital as “war crimes” and says the “perpetrators will be held accountable”.
At least two barrel bombs hit the largest hospital in a rebel-held part of the Syrian city, an organisation that supports it said.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict, said at least one person had died.
It comes three days after the hospital, called M10, was one of two struck by a heavy bombardment which left them badly damaged – an attack that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also described as a war crime.
A picture on the Civil Defense Directorate’s Facebook site purports to show the aftermath of a strike in Al Sakho
Nearby, Russian jets struck targets in rebel-held areas north of Aleppo amid a major offensive by Syria and its allies to capture the city.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault released a statement condemning the attack on the M10.
He said: “In the flood of violence that overwhelms Aleppo for several days, the systematic targeting of structures and health workers is particularly unjustifiable.
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“As recalled by the Secretary General of the UN, these attacks constitute war crimes. The perpetrators will be held accountable.
“This new attack only confirms the absolute urgency of a cessation of hostilities in Aleppo and access of civilian populations to humanitarian assistance they desperately need.
“In this very moment… France is mobilising to put a stop to this unacceptable crisis.”
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The bombardment of Aleppo over the last few days has been among the worst of Syria’s five-year civil war.
More than 200 people have died, scores more left injured and numerous residential buildings have been turned into rubble.
Barrel bombing has been criticised for the particularly indiscriminate nature of the strikes.
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Russia warned the United States against carrying out any attacks on Syrian government forces, saying it would have repercussions across the Middle East.
US-Russian relations over Syria have deteriorated since the breakdown of a ceasefire last month, with each side blaming the other for its failure.
Russia was reported on Friday to be sending more warplanes to Syria to ramp up its air campaign.
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Saturday’s Russian airstrikes focused on major supply lines into rebel-held areas – the Castello Road and Malah district – while fighting between rebels and Syrian government forces raged in the Suleiman al Halabi neighbourhood, north of Aleppo’s Old City.
Pictures posted by Aleppo’s Civil Defense Directorate claimed to show houses that had been destroyed in Saturday’s attacks in Al Sakhour, to the northeast of the centre.
Medecins Sans Frontiers, which also supports the M10 hospital and another called the M2, said after they were hit on Wednesday that the facilities were full because of the levels of attacks, with people waiting for others to die so they could get a bed.
The group quoted the Directorate of Health in east Aleppo as saying that those hospitals still functional reported receiving more than 822 wounded between 21 and 26 September, including at least 221 children, and more than 278 dead bodies of which at least 96 were children.
Aleppo hospital bombing a "war crime"
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