Situation on the ground 'calmer', but Russian bombs 'scary’, says Vicar of Aleppo
Bishop Jallouf describes scenes of chaos as people flee amid blocked roads. About 90 per cent of Aleppo “is in rebel control ", but Christians “have not been harmed”. Sources in Damascus told AsiaNews that the "situation is calm" now, but the picture is "very complicated". Pro-Assad fighters have come from Iran and Iraq. The death toll is now in the hundreds.
Aleppo (AsiaNews) – Bishop Hanna Jallouf, OFM, has been apostolic vicar of Aleppo since July 2023, the city that in the past few days has come to symbolise the renewed offensive by rebel and opposition groups, turning the spotlight back on the Syrian conflict that had fallen below the radar in international news reporting.
“Today the situation is a little calmer, the atmosphere is better than the other days,” said Bishop Jallouf. “Yesterday, they bombed Terra Santa College (pictured), inflicting serious material damage but without casualties. Now the picture is quieter, even if people continue to be afraid of Russian missiles falling on our heads.”
“The roads are blocked and no one can enter or leave" after the chaotic exodus of recent days, following the push by anti-government forces and the retreat of President Bashar al-Assad's army.
In the last few hours, “some small changes have been reported,” the prelate explained. “Water and electricity seem to have returned, and bread and fuel should be available again in the next two days. About 90 per cent of the city is currently under anti-government rebel control, while the remaining 10 per cent is in Kurdish hands,” who could soon pull out.
“The cemeteries are an issue,” the prelate explained, “as they are located along the line separating the Kurds from the rebels and this has made it hard to bury the dead. The temporary solution is to bury them in the ground near the vicariate as they come and when things are stabilised, they will be distributed to various graveyards.”
To some extent, the bishop knows the rebel groups who have seized the city since he spent years in Idlib. “They treated us with respect and so far they have not harmed any Christian, on the contrary. The order is to respect our rites, our churches, even our clothes,” he said.
In the capital, government sources spoke today to AsiaNews, anonymous for security reasons, saying that "in Damascus the situation is now calm", while the latest fighting is in ”Aleppo and northern Syria”.
"From here, we follow the news, hoping that the situation will be resolved soon and for the best," especially for the civilian population, even if the picture is "very complicated".
Meanwhile, Iranian-backed forces entered Syria overnight to fight alongside government forces in the north, to stop the offensive launched by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies. Katian Hezbollah and Fatemiyoun from Iraq have also joined Hashad al Shhabi fighters on the government side.
Despite calls from France, the United States and Germany for de-escalation, there is great fear that things might further escalate. In his daily briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that China continues to support Syria in its efforts "to return to stability”.
The White Helmets, an NGO close to the Syrian opposition dedicated to rescue operations, has reported that at least 25 people were killed in the northwest of the country in Russian and Syrian airstrikes.
Idlib, a rebel stronghold, was also attacked, while in the capital President Assad, whose power tittered for a few hours, promised to "crush" the rebel offensive with the help of Iran and Russia (already involved in Ukraine).
Syria’s military claims to have retaken several cities that had fallen to the rebels. US-backed Kurdish forces have started operations to evacuate civilians.
Although 320 rebel fighters were killed and dozens of vehicles hit in the governorates of Idlib, Aleppo and Hama (the new target of the offensive), this was not enough to stop their advance.
I n Aleppo the Christian Pro Terra Sancta NGO is reporting that the Terra Santa College, which is run by the Franciscans, has become a focal point of the latest fighting.
Food is "one of the sorest points of possible developments of the situation,” sources report, in particular "after roads blockages have made transporting flour in and out of Aleppo extremely difficult", in addition to regular power outages and the lack of water.
Over the weekend, evacuation from Aleppo was chaotic in the face of advancing anti-government forces, as rumours spread that the regular Syrian forces were losing the city "neighbourhood after neighbourhood."
"Now food is needed,” Pro Terra Santa reports. “There is almost no more bread, as quantities available are very limited. The same applies to fuel.”
In a letter dated yesterday to AsiaNews, the Carmelite Sisters of Aleppo, who, together with the Sisters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, run a home for about 60 seniors, report "three days of hellish fighting" in the city.
After a discussion with Bishop Jallouf, they decided to stay following his example – he spent 10 years in Idlib, “standing up to the rebels”.
“We didn't see a living soul,” the Carmelites write. “The night was almost agonisingly quiet, after days and nights of hell. This morning, there was no one on the streets, no cars in the city. In the morning, the situation became livelier, but we go on day by day, hour by hour.”
According to the Sisters, “the 'new government of Aleppo' is wasting no time” trying to “reassure the population. This morning they went to St Louis Hospital and told the nuns that they would not do anything to them.”
The Sisters report the "sound of bombings and reprisals”, which is precisely what they fear: “What will the next few days be like? We hope there will not be too much violence or bloodshed.”
Writing on behalf of her fellow nuns, Sister of Anne-Françoise de la Nativité concludes expressing the wish that "the Prince of Peace (Christ) will fill hearts with love, forgiveness and kindness, so that the world (especially where wars rage) may finally find the peace of God.”
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09/08/2021 14:38
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