SYRIA: Extremist violence returns to Aleppo
Jihadists in Syria have renewed military attacks and are trying to seize Aleppo, prompting a priest in the city to call on people of all faiths to unite in prayer for peace.
Speaking with Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Father Hugo Alaniz said that a dire situation has been unfolding around Syria’s second largest city where extremist groups launched a surprise offensive yesterday (Thursday, 28th November).
The militants have already seized villages and vital routes, including the road between Aleppo and Damascus, according to Father Alaniz, an Argentine missionary of the Institute of the Incarnate Word.
The missionary said: “The situation is very tense, they are less than 10 kilometres [six miles] away.”
He added: “There are intense clashes with many dead and injured. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and fear is widespread.”
Father Alaniz told ACN that Aleppo residents have heard explosions, making them fear that the violence is edging closer to the city.
Other local sources said that parts of north-west and south-west Aleppo have been hit by missiles as Islamist groups appear to be trying to regain control of the areas lost to the Syrian Armed Forces four years ago.
According to reports, the advance is being led by jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was formed by the merger of four Islamist militias in 2017, including the Al-Nusra Front which in 2013 occupied and desecrated the Christian shrine town of Maaloula and was one of the forces that occupied Sadad and murdered 45 Christians.
Rebels have bombarded the area near the University of Aleppo, killing four people including two students.
The shelling prompted an exodus of residents, particularly young people, to other parts of the city.
Father Alaniz said that, despite the misery, “the people here have great trust in God’s help and the power of prayer”.
He concluded: “We ask for prayers for this situation.
“Hopefully, it will pass quickly and not cause more harm.”
The local Church has continued providing support to the faithful and others in need of help.
Regina Lynch, ACN (International) executive president, has invited the charity’s friends and benefactors to join in prayer for the people of Aleppo and the surrounding communities.
Ms Lynch said: “Let us pray for peace, the protection of the vulnerable, and a swift end to the violence that has brought so much suffering to a nation already ravaged by over a decade of conflict.”