Thank you to those who stood by us but it is nearly over. We have hours to live...
‘Last tweet’ of journalist facing wrath of Syria regime
THE horror faced by 100 children trapped by Syrian government bombs raining down was brought home by a stream of “final tweets” from people fearing they were about to die.
Aid agencies and politicians talked of atrocities in the rubble-filled streets of Eastern Aleppo. And rebels last night said a ceasefire had been agreed.
But the plight of the 100 unaccompanied boys and girls hung in the balance as President Bashir al-Assad’s troops drew closer to storming the city’s last remaining rebel enclave.
Many of the 50,000 trapped civilians had lost all hope. Using the hashtag #mylastwords journalist Rami Zien wrote: “Thanks to all who stand for us and [pray] for us. But it’s almost over and they are just hours away of killing us. “Thanks world...You just killed us.” Among the latest casualties reported yesterday were 82 Syrians, including 11 women and 13 children in four local neighbourhoods.
Advancing troops were said to be executing people after smashing their way into homes.
And nobody appeared to be off limits as a target to the advancing regime’s forces.
The United Nation’s children’s agency UNICEF said: “According to alarming reports from a doctor in the city, many children, possibly more than 100, unaccompanied or separated from their families, are trapped in a building, under heavy attack.”
Many of those clinging to life in the city believed that, even if they avoided the bombs, they would be targets for al-Assad’s regime simply for living in an area recently controlled by rebel forces.
Seven-year-old Bana Alabed, who has gained a global social media following of hundreds of thousands, tweeted yesterday: “This is my last moment to either live or die.” Just hours earlier she revealed: “My dad is injured now. I am crying.” Her mum Fatemah added: “Our new house is hit with a rocket. This is the worst bombing I have seen. We are convinced we will die.
“Army is so near now. I don’t know what to do...only way to flee is to regime side which I fear coz they will kill me.”
On Monday, in despair Bana wrote: “Final message – people are dying since last night. I am very surprised I am tweeting right now and still alive.”
Thousands have fled the area in recent months as vital supplies of food, water and medicines dried up in the face of increasing fighting between rebel groups and the regime’s forces, which include troops, militia, Iranian soldiers and Russian air strikes.
The CEO of charity War Child, Rob Williams, told the Daily Mirror: “What we are witnessing in Aleppo is a humanitarian catastrophe of historic proportions, bearing comparison to infamous past disasters such as Srebrenica and Guernica.
“There are reports of civilians being executed, bodies lying in the streets, and others being rounded up and simply disappearing. Children and their families are among the thousands of victims.” Neighbouring Turkey said yesterday it was “horrified and outraged” by what it described as a massacre by regime forces and its supporters in the relentless attack on Aleppo. Rebel defences there collapsed on Monday, leading to a massive surge forward by Syrian troops and the sudden retreat of opposition fighters to other districts. Calling for an immediate halt to attacks and the safe evacuation of civilians, the Turkish foreign ministry also warned the Syrian regime was involved in mass executions of rebels. The officials were also deeply concerned stranded civilians faced a similar horror. Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said Turkey will set up a tent city to for up to 80,000 refugees fleeing Aleppo across the border, around 60 miles away. Downing Street blasted the “barbaric cruelty” of Syrian regime forces last night over the claims that civilians were being executed.
As hopes of a ceasefire grew, Theresa May’s spokeswoman described as “extremely concerning” reports of 82 civilians being killed “on the spot”.
Mrs May’s spokeswoman said at a Westminster briefing: “We do not think that President Assad, who is presiding over such barbaric cruelty to the people of Syria, is a route to a long-term secure, prosperous future for Syria.
“That’s why we think there needs to be a political transition away from Assad.”
Syrian rebels last night revealed a ceasefire to save trapped Aleppo civilians had been settled with Russia and the regime.
A rebel official confirmed an agreement had been in place with Russia to cease bombardment in the city since yesterday morning. He also said a full ceasefire was due to be in force by last night.
An official with a second rebel group fighting in Aleppo, Jabha Shamiya, confirmed: “There are signs of a breakthrough in the coming hours.”
But sources urged caution, warning that none of the Syria ceasefires had held for the agreed period
As rebel forces desert Aleppo, many fear the Middle East is now under increasing threat from “pop-up” jihadism, in which terror groups emerge and disappear easily, so they form less of a target.
According to Iraqi sources, ISIS forces in Mosul may be able to hold the city, its second stronghold after Raqqa, for much more than six months.
In six weeks of fighting for Mosul, Iraqi and Peshmerga forces have suffered heavy losses and fear the terror group may be harder to dislodge than previously thought.
And, just as Aleppo rebels are being defeated Islamic State, which is also fighting Assad’s regime, has retaken ancient Palmyra to the south-east.