ALEPPO, Syria, Nov. 20 (UPI) — At least eight children died by rebel rocket fire that hit a school in government-held west Aleppo, Syrian state media said Sunday.
In all, 10 people were killed and 59 wounded in the attack on the Furqan neighborhood.
A medical source told the Syrian Arab News Agency that eight students between 7 and 12 years old were killed, another 27 students injured and a female teacher had a leg amputated.
Also, Al Jazeera reported a family of six in eastern Aleppo was killed.
Two medics said the al-Baytounji family — four children and a married couple — died from the barrel bomb laced with chlorine gas in the Sakhour district at about midnight. Damascus has denied use of the gas, which is forbidden by the international Chemical Weapons Convention.
SANA also said shells were fired on the Faculty of Law and the neighborhoods of al-Sabil, al-Mogambo, al-Furqan and al-Midan, killing two persons and injuring 32 others in west Aleppo. The opposition now holds the eastern part of the city.
Syria’s military and Russia’s air force had stopped bombarding eastern Aleppo, except for the front-lines, for three weeks, but recommenced strikes Tuesday.
Aleppo Gov. Hussein Diab inspected al-Furqan School for basic education and urged for it to be repaired immediately. He also visited those injured in the attacks at the University Hospital, stressing the necessity of providing medical services.
About 240 people have been killed in east Aleppo and the rebel-held countryside to the west of the city since Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
On Sunday, the United Nations’ Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, warned time was “running out” for eastern Aleppo. He arrived in Damascus for talks.
Foreign Minister Walid al-Moalem said de Mistura suggested an autonomous administration in eastern Aleppo, but Damascus completely rejected the idea. An elected city council oversees services there.
Moalem said the civilians of eastern Aleppo were held hostage in this controlled distribution of food.
