At least 26 civilians were killed in fresh Government airstrikes on the contested city of Aleppo, Syrian activists said on Monday, as the United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting on the spiraling violence in Syria.
At the start of that meeting the UN’s top envoy to Syria accused the government of unleashing “unprecedented military violence” against civilians in Aleppo.
Staffan de Mistura said Syria’s declaration of a military offensive to retake rebel-held eastern Aleppo has led to one of the worst weeks of the 5 and 1/2-year war with dozens of airstrikes against residential areas and buildings causing scores of civilian deaths.
He said the offensive targeting civilians with sophisticated weapons including incendiary devices may amount to war crimes.
Medical workers and local officials reported airstrikes on neighborhoods throughout Aleppo’s rebel-held eastern districts as an announced Government offensive entered its fourth day.