Mass graves discovered in Aleppo, Russia says
Mass graves filled with mutilated bodies discovered in Aleppo: Russia
RUSSIAN troops have discovered mass graves in Syria’s Aleppo, with bodies showing signs of torture and mutilation, the Defence Ministry said.
Dozens of bodies have been uncovered, with some bearing gunshot wounds, according to Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov.
While the Syrian war is now largely fought with mortars, tanks, and air power, death has come at close quarters as well.
Human rights observers and the media have recorded numerous examples of massacres and organised torture, perpetrated by the government, opposition, and Islamic State.
The Russian air force has helped Syrian President Bashar Assad and its allies to capture Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, after weeks of a siege. Russia has since dispatched military police to the city.
Konashenkov also accused rebels, who controlled eastern Aleppo before they were pushed out earlier this month, of laying multiple booby traps and mines across town, endangering the civilian population.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which gathers information on the conflict through local contacts, said on Sunday that at least 63 Syrian soldiers and militiamen had been killed by such booby traps in east Aleppo since the government took control of it from rebels last Thursday.
The Observatory said the victims were a mix of de-mining personnel and soldiers or militiamen looting the districts.
As Russian and Syrian forces secured and consolidated eastern Aleppo, Syrian president Bashar Assad was showing signs of increasing confidence in his position.
On Sunday, Assad visited a Christian orphanage near the capital Damascus to mark Christmas.
Photographs posted on the Syrian presidency’s Facebook page showed Assad along with his wife, Asma, standing with nuns and orphans in the Damascus suburb of Sednaya.
In the northern city of Aleppo, Christians celebrated Christmas for the first time in four years with the country’s largest city now under full control of government forces.
The rebel withdrawal from east Aleppo last week marked Assad’s biggest victory since Syria’s crisis began in 2011.
Christians, one of the largest religious minorities at about 10 per cent of Syria’s pre-war 23 million-strong population, have tried to stay on the sidelines of the conflict. However, the opposition’s increasingly outspoken Islamism has kept many leaning toward Assad’s government.
Mass graves discovered in Aleppo, Russia says
BEIRUT -- Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday that its troops had found mass graves in Syria’s Aleppo with bodies showing signs of torture and mutilation.
Dozens of bodies have been uncovered, according to Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov. He said some bore gunshot wounds.
While the Syrian war is now largely fought with mortars, tanks, and air power, death has come at close quarters as well. Human rights observers and the media have recorded numerous examples of massacres and organized torture, perpetrated by the government, opposition, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The Russian Air Force has helped Syrian President Bashar Assad and its allies to capture Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, after weeks of a siege. The rebel withdrawal marked Assad’s biggest victory since Syria’s crisis began in 2011.
Konashenkov also accused rebels, who controlled eastern Aleppo before they were pushed out earlier this month, of laying multiple booby traps and mines across town, endangering the civilian population.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which gathers information on the conflict through local contacts, said on Sunday that at least 63 Syrian soldiers and militiamen had been killed by such booby traps in east Aleppo since the government took control of it from rebels last Thursday. The Observatory said the victims were a mix of demining personnel and soldiers or militiamen looting the districts.
As Russian and Syrian forces secured and consolidated eastern Aleppo, Syrian president Bashar Assad was showing signs of increasing confidence in his position.
On Sunday, Assad visited a Christian orphanage near the capital Damascus to mark Christmas.
Photographs posted on the Syrian presidency’s Facebook page showed Assad along with his wife, Asma, standing with nuns and orphans in the Damascus suburb of Sednaya.
In the northern city of Aleppo, Christians celebrated Christmas for the first time in four years with the country’s largest city now under full control of government forces.
Christians, one of the largest religious minorities at about 10 percent of Syria’s pre-war 23 million-strong population, have tried to stay on the sidelines of the conflict. However, the opposition’s increasingly outspoken Islamism has kept many leaning toward Assad’s government.
The Latest: Turkey Wants More Air Support From Coalition
The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):
2:45 p.m.
Turkey has complained about a lack of aerial support from the U.S.-led coalition for its operations against the Islamic State group in northern Syria.
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters Monday that the coalition "needs to carry out its responsibilities especially on the issue of providing aerial backing."
His comments come days after Turkish troops, trying to recapture the IS-held town of al-Bab, suffered heavy casualties. A total of 16 Turkish soldiers were killed in fighting in al-Bab last week and a 17th soldier died Monday from his previous injuries.
Turkey sent ground troops into northern Syria in August to assist Syrian opposition forces in clearing a border area of IS militants and to prevent Syrian Kurds from making greater territorial advances.
At least 38 Turkish soldiers have been killed in northern Syria since then.
———
1 p.m.
The Russian Defense Ministry says its troops have found mass graves in Aleppo with bodies showing signs of torture and mutilation.
Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in an emailed statement on Monday that the Russians found "found mass graves of several dozens of Syrians who suffered atrocious torture and massacre."
Konashenkov said some of the bodies have been mutilated and some had gunshot wounds.
The Russian Air Force has helped Syrian President Bashar Assad and its allies to capture Syria's largest city after weeks of a siege. Russian has since dispatched military police to the city.
Konashenkov also criticized the opposition rebels, who controlled eastern Aleppo before they were pushed out earlier this month, for laying multiple booby traps and mines across town, endangering the civilian population.
———
7:15 p.m.
Syrian President Bashar Assad has visited a Christian orphanage near the capital Damascus on Christmas Day.
Photographs posted on the Syrian presidency's Facebook page showed the president along with his wife, Asma, standing with nuns and orphans in the Damascus suburb of Sednaya.
In the northern city of Aleppo, Christians celebrated Christmas for the first time in four years with the country's largest city now under full control of government forces.
The rebel withdrawal from east Aleppo last week marked Assad's biggest victory since Syria's crisis began in 2011.
Christians, one of the largest religious minorities at about 10 percent of Syria's pre-war 23 million-strong population, have tried to stay on the sidelines of the conflict. However, the opposition's increasingly outspoken Islamism has kept many leaning toward Assad's government.
 |
| Syrians use a tractor to collect belongings in the former rebel-held Zebdiye district of Aleppo. Picture: George Oourfalian/AFPSource:AFP |
RUSSIAN troops have discovered mass graves in Syria’s Aleppo, with bodies showing signs of torture and mutilation, the Defence Ministry said.
Dozens of bodies have been uncovered, with some bearing gunshot wounds, according to Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov.
While the Syrian war is now largely fought with mortars, tanks, and air power, death has come at close quarters as well.
Human rights observers and the media have recorded numerous examples of massacres and organised torture, perpetrated by the government, opposition, and Islamic State.
The Russian air force has helped Syrian President Bashar Assad and its allies to capture Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, after weeks of a siege. Russia has since dispatched military police to the city.
Konashenkov also accused rebels, who controlled eastern Aleppo before they were pushed out earlier this month, of laying multiple booby traps and mines across town, endangering the civilian population.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which gathers information on the conflict through local contacts, said on Sunday that at least 63 Syrian soldiers and militiamen had been killed by such booby traps in east Aleppo since the government took control of it from rebels last Thursday.
The Observatory said the victims were a mix of de-mining personnel and soldiers or militiamen looting the districts.
As Russian and Syrian forces secured and consolidated eastern Aleppo, Syrian president Bashar Assad was showing signs of increasing confidence in his position.
On Sunday, Assad visited a Christian orphanage near the capital Damascus to mark Christmas.
Photographs posted on the Syrian presidency’s Facebook page showed Assad along with his wife, Asma, standing with nuns and orphans in the Damascus suburb of Sednaya.
In the northern city of Aleppo, Christians celebrated Christmas for the first time in four years with the country’s largest city now under full control of government forces.
The rebel withdrawal from east Aleppo last week marked Assad’s biggest victory since Syria’s crisis began in 2011.
Christians, one of the largest religious minorities at about 10 per cent of Syria’s pre-war 23 million-strong population, have tried to stay on the sidelines of the conflict. However, the opposition’s increasingly outspoken Islamism has kept many leaning toward Assad’s government.
Mass graves discovered in Aleppo, Russia says
 |
| A Syrian man gestures in the former rebel-held Salaheddin district of Aleppo. Picture: George Oourfalian/AFPSource:AFP |
BEIRUT -- Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday that its troops had found mass graves in Syria’s Aleppo with bodies showing signs of torture and mutilation.
Dozens of bodies have been uncovered, according to Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov. He said some bore gunshot wounds.
While the Syrian war is now largely fought with mortars, tanks, and air power, death has come at close quarters as well. Human rights observers and the media have recorded numerous examples of massacres and organized torture, perpetrated by the government, opposition, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The Russian Air Force has helped Syrian President Bashar Assad and its allies to capture Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, after weeks of a siege. The rebel withdrawal marked Assad’s biggest victory since Syria’s crisis began in 2011.
Konashenkov also accused rebels, who controlled eastern Aleppo before they were pushed out earlier this month, of laying multiple booby traps and mines across town, endangering the civilian population.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which gathers information on the conflict through local contacts, said on Sunday that at least 63 Syrian soldiers and militiamen had been killed by such booby traps in east Aleppo since the government took control of it from rebels last Thursday. The Observatory said the victims were a mix of demining personnel and soldiers or militiamen looting the districts.
As Russian and Syrian forces secured and consolidated eastern Aleppo, Syrian president Bashar Assad was showing signs of increasing confidence in his position.
On Sunday, Assad visited a Christian orphanage near the capital Damascus to mark Christmas.
Photographs posted on the Syrian presidency’s Facebook page showed Assad along with his wife, Asma, standing with nuns and orphans in the Damascus suburb of Sednaya.
In the northern city of Aleppo, Christians celebrated Christmas for the first time in four years with the country’s largest city now under full control of government forces.
Christians, one of the largest religious minorities at about 10 percent of Syria’s pre-war 23 million-strong population, have tried to stay on the sidelines of the conflict. However, the opposition’s increasingly outspoken Islamism has kept many leaning toward Assad’s government.
The Latest: Turkey Wants More Air Support From Coalition
The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):
2:45 p.m.
Turkey has complained about a lack of aerial support from the U.S.-led coalition for its operations against the Islamic State group in northern Syria.
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters Monday that the coalition "needs to carry out its responsibilities especially on the issue of providing aerial backing."
His comments come days after Turkish troops, trying to recapture the IS-held town of al-Bab, suffered heavy casualties. A total of 16 Turkish soldiers were killed in fighting in al-Bab last week and a 17th soldier died Monday from his previous injuries.
Turkey sent ground troops into northern Syria in August to assist Syrian opposition forces in clearing a border area of IS militants and to prevent Syrian Kurds from making greater territorial advances.
At least 38 Turkish soldiers have been killed in northern Syria since then.
———
1 p.m.
The Russian Defense Ministry says its troops have found mass graves in Aleppo with bodies showing signs of torture and mutilation.
Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in an emailed statement on Monday that the Russians found "found mass graves of several dozens of Syrians who suffered atrocious torture and massacre."
Konashenkov said some of the bodies have been mutilated and some had gunshot wounds.
The Russian Air Force has helped Syrian President Bashar Assad and its allies to capture Syria's largest city after weeks of a siege. Russian has since dispatched military police to the city.
Konashenkov also criticized the opposition rebels, who controlled eastern Aleppo before they were pushed out earlier this month, for laying multiple booby traps and mines across town, endangering the civilian population.
———
7:15 p.m.
Syrian President Bashar Assad has visited a Christian orphanage near the capital Damascus on Christmas Day.
Photographs posted on the Syrian presidency's Facebook page showed the president along with his wife, Asma, standing with nuns and orphans in the Damascus suburb of Sednaya.
In the northern city of Aleppo, Christians celebrated Christmas for the first time in four years with the country's largest city now under full control of government forces.
The rebel withdrawal from east Aleppo last week marked Assad's biggest victory since Syria's crisis began in 2011.
Christians, one of the largest religious minorities at about 10 percent of Syria's pre-war 23 million-strong population, have tried to stay on the sidelines of the conflict. However, the opposition's increasingly outspoken Islamism has kept many leaning toward Assad's government.
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