At least 88 civilians have died in Turkish airstrikes in Syria, a war monitor is reporting.
ADVERTISEMENTAt least 88 civilians have died in Turkish airstrikes in Syria, a war monitor is reporting.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says many children were among those killed, over a 24 hour period, as Turkey bombarded al-Bab, an ISIL stronghold.
It comes after 16 Turkish troops died in fighting there and ISIL released a video purporting to show two captured Turkish soldiers being burned alive.
Sixteen Turkish soldiers killed in fierce Bab battle https://t.co/K6Zb0SAteapic.twitter.com/8IGsouYpjj
— Hürriyet Daily News (@HDNER) 22 décembre 2016
In Aleppo, meanwhile, the Assad regime released footage of residents celebrating the government’s recapture of the whole city.
It comes as the evacuation of rebel fighters, civilians and the wounded from the previously rebel-held east of Aleppo and from two Shi’ite villages in Syria’s Idlib province was said to be complete.
“All civilians who wished to be evacuated have been, as well as wounded and fighters,” International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokeswoman Krista Armstrong said. The aid agency led the complex operation in snowy winter conditions with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
“There are no words to describe it … the destruction, the darkness, the despair.” Our aid worker on what he saw in #Aleppo this week. pic.twitter.com/BFqtisZKo2
— ICRC Syria (@ICRC_sy) 23 décembre 2016
Syrian state media has been broadcasting pictures of government forces on patrol in formerly rebel-held areas.
The Syrian army said it had retaken complete control of Aleppo on Thursday after the last rebel fighters were evacuated, handing President Bashar al-Assad his biggest victory of the nearly six-year-old war.
with Reuters