‘At least five children killed’ in Aleppo air strikes near school and hospital

At least five children were killed in air strikes near a school and a children’s hospital in the Syrian city of Aleppo today, according to reports.

The attacks killed more than 20 people and were carried out by Russian or Syrian jets, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, medical staff and emergency workers. They came on the second day of renewed bombing, part of escalated action by the Syrian government and its allies. 

The Observatory – a British-based monitoring group – and residents said the east of Aleppo was hit by rocket strikes by jets, barrel bombs dropped from helicopters and artillery fired by government forces.

“The helicopters won’t stop for a single moment,” Bebars Mishal, a civil defence worker in the rebel-held part of the city, told the Reuters news agency. “Right now, the bombing won’t let up.”

The bombing hit the surroundings of a children’s hospital in the Shaar neighbourhood and of a school in the Salah al-Din neighbourhood, the Observatory said.

“We woke up to the bombing and until now, the warplanes and helicopters are running,” said Modar Shekho, a nurse in eastern Aleppo. “The Shaar neighbourhood was burned down between yesterday and today.”

Many children have been killed during recent attacks in Aleppo and other Syrian towns and cities.

At least six children died on November 6killed 22 children and six teachersshould be investigated as a war crimefive children were killed and 15 wounded when a primary school in the southern city of Daraa was hit by rockets on October 11.

Russia today denied that its jets struck Aleppo in the renewed wave of bombardment. It says it is sticking to a moratorium on strikes in the city