Aleppo, as army advances into rebel neighborhoods, the tragedy of fleeing civilians

In the last 24 hours, at least 4 thousand people have fled the eastern sector. Used as human shields, they tell stories of destruction, rubble and hunger under the Islamic fundamentalists. Aleppo city is the "martyr par excellence" of the conflict. Turkish troops on Syrian territory targeted for the first time.

 

Aleppo (AsiaNews) - In the last 24 hours, at least 4 thousand civilians have fled from Aleppo east to the west, which is under government control. And they all tell the same stories, stories that no human ear would ever want to hear. They are stories of destruction, rubble, hunger, lack of medicines, terror and absolute prohibition on the part of Islamic fundamentalists to get out, to escape or even just take cover. Through the microphones of Syrian state television, all of the fugitives speak of being used as "human shields".

In the eastern sector of Aleppo, the second largest city of the country, once an economic and commercial hub, controlled by the rebels (and jihadi groups) has become an open air prison for civilians. And there are only 20 doctors for a population of about 250 thousand people.

A lady in tears said that children are among the most affected and that "childhood is dead in east Aleppo." She added that people have no more tears to shed, and "now I should return to live, but do not know where to start to do so."

Aleppo city is the martyr par excellence, never no city in modern history has known a period as long of endless suffering, encirclement, cross-bombing, in the context of absolute global indifference, apart from a few (and timid) exceptions. A reality of rubble, people robbed of their humanity, of the minimum requirements for dignity and rights.

The blame game among world powers is of little interest to the victims who just want this to end as soon as possible. They cannot understand how some of the world can support the terrorists, who have segregated them and forced to stay under falling bombs, using them as human shields. At the same time, they fail to understand how another part of the world can support those who bombard them to free them from their captors.

Surely they alone are paying the highest price in terms of human lives and destruction, in injuries and deprivation, misery, cold, hunger and pain.

One Facebook user recently wrote on a page created to support internally displaced people in the city: "Aleppo and its martyrdom will remain forever as an indelible stain on the conscience of humanity. As the place where solidarity has been buried, where humanity is dead, where all the slogans of freedom and human rights have lost their meaning, and where they have emerged for what they have become: empty words, mirage, illusion. "

In West Aleppo solidarity is at its highest among ordinary people, civil society organizations and charities; Christians and Muslims, everyone without distinction, collaborate with the government to welcome their brothers and sisters who have been able to escape from hell.

In Hananu, in the eastern sector, the fighting was fierce; Islamic militants in the area have turned to the south. The Syrian state TV has broadcast recordings of conversations that took place between the fundamentalists on the run, who betray their state of "collapse."

Audio files reveal accusations and insults traded between the various jihadist factions, with tones particularly aimed at pro-Turkish factions. One recording reveals harsh accusations against "those who have retreated to northern hinterland, in exchange for $ 250 each". However, anyone who looks at a map can see that Aleppo east is completely surrounded and that there is no escape for any fighter. Unless, if it is true what was said in the recordings, there was an undeclared escape route encouraged by the government.

What is happening in Aleppo east is not a defeat, not a retreat but a real collapse of the fundamentalist resistance forces, who now no longer have a way out. A situation that has worsened especially after the fall of the Hay el Sekhour district, now under the control of the Syrian army as confirmed by the official news agency Sana.

According to reliable sources the Turkmen fighters had left the city to join and fight alongside the Turkish army operation "Shield of the Euphrates," which has allowed Ankara to invade the Aleppo hinterland.

The Turkish army seeks to occupy Bab, and then launch the attack on Membej; the Syrian air force has stopped this advance however, last week bombing the Turkish occupying forces on Syrian territory for the first time. Three soldiers were killed in the raid, in a clear warning from Damascus, and consequently also from Moscow, beyond which the advancement of the Turks could lead to an open war between Damascus, Tehran, Moscow and Ankara. ( PB)

• Syria Aleppo government rebels offensive jihadists assad refugees violence