Aleppo University was founded in 1960. Consisting of 27 faculties and 12 institutes in addition to a university hospital, Aleppo University is the second-largest university in Syria.
Aleppo University saw the most important and liveliest student movement out of all of Syria’s universities, even though the university is located in a Syrian regime-held area, and had never been under the control of the opposition.
The following is an account for an eyewitness to the shelling. Hosam al Halabi is a student at Aleppo University, and he is still alive.
“There was a heavy student presence by the nursing institute, as students were going in and out of exams. Suddenly, we saw warplanes soaring, and then the warplanes dropped a missile along with thermal balloons. A few moments later, and a second missile is dropped. The glass shattered and the university doors were shut down, as the heavy shooting started, but we didn’t know from where. We couldn’t leave until after a while. It was disastrous. There were many burned bodies and scattered body parts, and the university fence was damaged and one of the dormitory buildings was heavily damaged, while a number of cars burned as well. Students and citizens carried the wounded by taxis and pick-up trucks.”