Assad’s Brutal Reprisals against Civilians in Aleppo and Durmeir

Press Statement

Syrian Coalition

Istanbul, Turkey

December 16, 2013

Activists in the city of Aleppo have documented the names of 103 civilians, nearly half of them children, killed when the Assad regime’s helicopters dropped explosive barrels on the poorest and most populated neighborhoods in the city, on Sunday morning, December 16. The targeted neighborhoods included al-Haidariah, Ard al-Hamrah, al-Marjeh, Bab al-Neyrab, al-Anssari al-Sharqi, Qaddi Asskar, al-Saliheen, al-Sokkari, al-Fardous, Dahrat Awad, and Tareeq al-Bab.

More than 350 civilians have been injured in the attacks, and entire buildings have been levelled to the ground.

Assad’s forces resumed the bombardment on Aleppo early today targeting the neighborhoods of Bustan al-Qassir, Seif al-Dawla, al-Sha’ar, and al-Sakhour. Dozens of civilians were killed and injured. In Rural Damascus, Assad’s aircrafts have carried out 3 raids on the town of al-Dumeir on Sunday, killing at least 21 civilians.

The Assad regime continues to use militias coming from Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon to ruthlessly massacre innocent civilians in Syria and force them into submission. It refuses to allow humanitarian convoys access to besieged area. Hundreds of thousands of activists and prisoners of conscience remain detained in Assad’s prisons. All this is indicative of the regime’s continued attempts to stymie efforts aimed at finding a political solution that would end the suffering of the Syrian people and ensure Syria's transition into democracy.

We ask for Mercy for our martyrs, health for our wounded, and freedom for our detainees.

Long live Syria and its people, free and with honor.