Syria's Aleppo Reels From New Wave Of Air Strikes

ALEPPO, Syria, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -24th Sep,2016) - Residents in Syria's battleground city of Aleppo cowered indoors Saturday as fierce air strikes toppled buildings and killed at least 32 civilians, after diplomatic efforts to revive a ceasefire failed.

Nearly two million civilians were without water in the devastated northern city after regime bombardment damaged a pumping station and rebels shut down another in retaliation, the United Nations said.

Rebel-held districts in east Aleppo came under intense air and artillery fire for a fifth night as the army prepared a ground offensive to recapture the whole of the divided city. Saturday's death toll of 32 was expected to rise because people remained trapped under rubble, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.

"We were home when a missile crashed into our road," said one resident of the Bab al-Nayrab district who gave his name as Nizar. "Half of the building just caved in and our baby was hit in the head.

He died on the spot," Nizar said, as the body of his son lay on the ground wrapped in a blanket. Seven people were killed in a strike as they queued to buy yoghurt at a market in the Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, which sits along the front line dividing the government-held west from the rebel-held east of the city.