Rebels Continue Offensive in Aleppo

Rebel forces continued their three-day-old offensive on government-held areas of Aleppo on Sunday, according to the Associated Press.

The offensive aims to break a government siege against the rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo, where some 275,000 civilians have been trapped since July.

Syrian state TV reported that at least seven people were killed on Sunday, including three children. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a United Kingdom-based monitoring group, reported at least 48 killed since the beginning of the offensive, including 17 children.

United Nations envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura expressed concern for what he called a high number of indiscriminately launched rockets by the rebels. De Mistura said that the use of the rockets on civilian areas could amount to war crimes, and called for a stable cease-fire.

Rebels warned civilians in front-line government areas, where the opposition has used a number of car bombs, to use shelters or stay indoors.

The Syrian government reported that rebel forces launched an attack on Sunday using a toxic gas. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that some residents reported breathing difficulties after an opposition attack, though use of toxic gas could not be confirmed. An opposition spokesman denied the reports.

Russia Prolongs Pause in Aleppo Air Raids

The Russian military will extend its pause in air raids of rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo, according to Al Jazeera.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that Russian president Vladimir Putin denied a request from the Russian military to resume air raids because he believed it was necessary to prolong what he called a “humanitarian pause,” despite the ongoing opposition offensive against government-held areas.

The Russian government claims that it has not carried out airstrikes in Aleppo since October 18.

A United States official denied that civilians in rebel-held areas were benefiting from the pause in airstrikes in the face of starvation tactics used by Syrian government forces.

Though Russia and Syria stopped their air campaign against the rebel-held areas of the city last week so that civilians and the wounded could be evacuated, no evacuations have occurred. Pro-government troops have continued ground operations, reportedly killing three people and wounding seven on Sunday.

Russian Jet Flies Close to U.S. Coalition Plane

A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition said on Friday that a Russian fighter jet flew about a half a mile (0.8km) from a coalition plane, Reuters reported.

U.S. colonel John Dorrian said during a video news conference that the Russian jet did not fly close to the larger U.S. coalition aircraft “with nefarious intent,” and that the two sides communicated after the episode.

The incident, which took place on October 17, calls attention to the potential complications of both the Russian military and U.S.-led coalition flying separate air campaigns over Syria. The two sides have a communication channel that aims at avoiding collisions, and top officials speak by video conference to discuss operations.

Last month a similar incident occurred in which a Russian fighter jet came within 10ft (3m) of a U.S. spy plane over the Black Sea.

RECOMMENDED READS:

• The Wall Street Journal: Russia Voted Off U.N. Human Rights Council
• Foreign Policy: The Great Myth About U.S. Intervention in Syria
• Al-Monitor: Aleppo Braces for Harsh Winter
• The New York Times: Stark Choice for Syrians in Rebel Areas: ‘Doom’ or the Green Bus
• The Economist: Erdogan’s War Game