Al-Assad starts Aleppo offensive

DAMASCUS

Syrians gather at the site where blasts hit the Aleppo University. REUTERS photo

Syrian army yesterday announced that they have launched a renewed offensive in Aleppo as universities were shut across the country to mark the deadly campus attack in the city.

Syrian armed forces launched an offensive, state media said, a day after 87 people were killed in explosions at the city’s university. The state news agency SANA said the military had killed dozens of “terrorists,” a term Damascus uses for rebels trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. “The Armed Forces carried out several special operations against the mercenary terrorists in Aleppo and its countryside, inflicting heavy losses upon them in several areas,” SANA said. Meanwhile, two car bombs killed at least 22 civilians in Idlib yesterday. ”The first explosion took place in Al-Ziraa Square and the second explosion took place in Al-Mutlaq Square, killing 22 and wounding 30,” SANA reported.

Universities were closed across Syria yesterday to mark a day of mourning called after blasts tore through an Aleppo campus while students were writing exams. Officials warned that the toll from blasts could rise beyond 100.