HMEYMIM, June 8. /TASS/. Jabhat Al-Nusra militants have stepped up bombardments of Aleppo, dozens have been killed and more than a hundred civilians have been injured, a spokesman for the Russian center for reconciliation in Syria has told the media.
"Jabhat al-Nusra militants have stepped up bombardments of the Sheikh Maqsood area in the north, the community of Handarat, in the northwest, and Karasi, in the southwest. More than 100 civilians have suffered and fatalities number several dozen," he said.
"The bombardments are indiscriminate and hit not only positions of government troops, but also residential areas, homes, shops and pharmacies. Civilians in local communities are the main victims of bombardments by militants," the center’s official said.
On Wednesday morning the center said the militants had mounted a mortar attack on Sheikh Maqsood area during the morning prayer. Later, a spokesman for the center said the militants were continuing mortar bombardments of Syrian army positions in the village of Ansar, on the southern outskirts of Aleppo.
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Aleppo has been a scene of fierce fighting involving armored vehicles over the past few days.
The reconciliation center had said that the militants had taken advantage of the cessation of hostilities and their proximity to areas under the control of the "moderate opposition" to regroup their forces and build up weapons and ammunition reserves.
Truce has been in effect in Syria since February 27. It does not apply to the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra groups (both outlawed in Russia) and other groups declared terrorist by the UN Security Council.