Details
Government forces targeted on the morning of Sunday 22 December, 2013, the highway in Masaken Hananou neighborhood. This area is known for being highly crowded especially in the morning. Government forces targeted the area with eight barrel bombs; two were dropped on an urban market in Al-Ahmadiya neighborhood. Also, Al-Haydariya neighborhood and Al-Fylat Street in As-Sakhour neighborhood were targeted and a few hours later B’iden neighborhood, which is next to Hananou neighborhood, was targeted.
This report relies on the investigation carried out by SNHR in Aleppo city which involved interviews with residents and activists. It includes four testimonies in addition to the news and pictures that were sent to us by cooperating activists from the city.
The first eyewitness’s testimony, his name is (S), and can be found on Skype via his account: (rh7.syr)
“At 8:30 AM approximately, we heard the sounds of explosions in Aleppo –The explosions haven’t stopped in Aleppo in a week- we realized that a new massacre has occurred. The barrel bombs were dropped about 100 meters away from my home. I saw the destruction, the panic, and the scattered body parts. Many were wounded, there were an ambulance that was targeted and everyone inside it had died. ”
The Second eyewitness’s testimony, his name is Abu-Salah and can be found on Skype via his account: (abosalah.shaher)
“I was in my car and the explosion happened about 1 kilometers away from me. I headed there and my car was affected by shrapnel from the barrel bombs. A crowded bus burned and everyone inside it had died. Whole buildings were destroyed, everyone was scared and cars were burning. Even the ambulance was targeted the medical staff was killed.”
The third eyewitness’s testimony, his name is Rami:
“About 9:00 PM, four barrel bombs were dropped on Hananou highway. This area is highly crowded especially in the morning. More than 30 cars, a big bus, and two pickup cars, have all been burned. The nearby buildings were heavily damaged. A lot of people died including a paramedic and a great number of children.”
The fourth eyewitness’s testimony, he was in B’iedien neighborhood at the time of the bombing:
“At 1:15 approximately, I was in my shop, out of nowhere government forces helicopters dropped a barrel bomb on residential buildings that were located to the west of B’iedien circle. A residential building was completely destroyed and two others were destroyed partially. A Saba car was burned in which there were a driver and two other people. Also, a Suzuki car was burned also. I saw body parts coming out of the burned cars. We started pulling out dead bodies from under rubbles. Panic, death, and destruction were everywhere. This is how we spent the last week.”