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Fears for Aleppo’s residents as fighting accelerates

Heavily destroyed buildings in the Bustan al–Basha neighbourhood in Aleppo, where pro–government forces have re–taken a third of rebel–held territory.

Heavily destroyed buildings in the Bustan al–Basha neighbourhood in Aleppo, where pro–government forces have re–taken a third of rebel–held territory. Photo: George Ourfalian/AFP/Getty

Rescue workers in Syria’s rebel-held eastern Aleppo have exhausted fuel reserves and civil defence says all fuel remaining in its vehicles and equipment will run out within two days.

An official in the White Helmets, the group that operates in rebel–held areas of Syria, told Reuters the only fuel it has left is what remains in machines.

The group draws on ambulance workers and volunteers who dig survivors and the dead out of rubble.

The Syrian army and its allies announced the capture of a swathe of eastern Aleppo from rebels on Monday in an accelerating attack that threatens to crush the opposition in its most important urban stronghold.

Aleppo Syria Nov 2016

Syrian pro–government forces during their assault to retake the entire northern city from rebel fighters. Photo: George Ourfalian/ AFP/ Getty

Two rebel officials said the insurgents, facing fierce bombardment and ground attacks, had withdrawn from the northern part of eastern Aleppo to a more defensible front line after government advances risked splitting the rebel-held area in two.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the northern portion of eastern Aleppo lost by the rebels amounted to more than a third of the territory they had held, calling it the biggest defeat for the opposition in Aleppo since 2012.

Thousands of residents were reported to have fled. At least 4,000 have been registered by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent after fleeing from the city’s rebel–controlled eatern areas.

A rebel fighter reached by Reuters said there was “extreme, extreme, extreme pressure” on the insurgents. Part of the area lost by the rebels was taken over by a Kurdish militia from Aleppo.

Capturing eastern Aleppo would be the biggest victory for President Bashar al-Assad since the start of the uprising against him in 2011, restoring his control over the whole city apart from a Kurdish-held area that has not fought against him.

The war pits al-Assad, supported by Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias, against an array of mostly Sunni Muslim rebel groups, some backed by Turkey, Gulf monarchies or the United States.

https://twitter.com/halabtweets/status/803220434837590016

Harry Potter fan’s home bombed

Meanwhile the home of a seven–year–old Syrian girl who was sent Harry Potter books by JK Rowling has been bombed.

Bana Alabed said she had “no house” and had “almost died” following heavy shelling in the besieged eastern part of Aleppo where she lives.

An image of Bana holding a piece of card with the words “thank you my friend JK Rowling for the books” was posted on Twitter on Wednesday, after the writer’s staff arranged for the gift to be sent.

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