Syria strikes leave dozens dead, aid convoys allowed to besieged areasJune 4, 2016 - 13:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syria's regime killed dozens of civilians with air strikes in and around Aleppo city on Friday, June 3, even as it agreed to allow access for ground convoys to deliver aid to 12 besieged areas, AFP reports. The raids on Aleppo were the most intense in more than a month, with dozens of barrel bombs -- crude, unguided explosive devices -- dropped on rebel-held eastern districts of the city, an AFP correspondent said. Fourteen people were killed when a bus they were travelling in was hit on the Castello road, a key rebel supply route out of Aleppo, the civil defense said. At least 43 other civilians were killed in regime strikes on neighbourhoods in the city's rebel-held east, said the civil defense, known as the White Helmets, AFP says. "There are people under the rubble and we're still looking for the missing," said a volunteer who gave his name as Khaled. Official news agency SANA said rebel rocket fire killed two children in the regime-controlled west of the city. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Castello road was now "effectively cut." "All movement is targeted, be that buses or bystanders," its head Rami Abdel Rahman said, according to AFP. The observatory later said that regime air strikes killed at least 15 civilians in the Boleel area controlled by Islamic State outside Deir Ezzor city in eastern Syria. It added that rebel shelling on Friday killed 10 civilians, including a woman and two children in Aleppo’s regime-controlled western districts. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |