et fighters and helicopters bombing east Aleppo hit a children’s hospital and a blood bank on Wednesday, as medics and patients sheltered in the basement waiting for the hours-long assault to end.
An ambulance driver and at least two children were among at least 20 civilians reportedly killed after a night of fierce attacks on rebel-held sections of Syria’s largest city. Another 47 people were reportedly injured.
The bombardment, which continued into Wednesday, is widely believed to mark the start of a push by Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s president, and his backers, including Russia and Iran, to crush the opposition in their last urban stronghold.
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“A horrible day for the children’s hospital. Me and my staff and all the patients are sitting in one room in the basement right now, trying to protect our patients,” the centre’s director, Dr Hatem, said in a message posted on Facebook. “We are trying to leave the basement but we can’t because of all the aircraft still in the sky. Pray for us please.” They were still trapped underground early in the afternoon.