France warns of ‘new Aleppo’ as Syria steps up Idlib attacks
A repeat of the bloody Syrian battle that devastated Aleppo must be avoided at all costs, France’s UN ambassador said yesterday, as the Security Council met to discuss escalating fighting in northwest Syria.
Syrian forces and their Russian allies have stepped up air strikes and shelling in the jihadist-controlled Idlib region since late April, raising alarm over a possible all-out assault by Damascus to seize the territory.
“A new Aleppo must at all cost be prevented in Idlib,” French Ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters ahead of the closed-door council meeting.
Syrian forces backed by Russian air power waged a long battle for Aleppo that ended in late 2016, costing thousands of lives and leaving the historic city in ruins.
“We need to send a very clear message to all those who might be tempted by an escalation in Idlib,” Delattre said.
“If it happens, then you will have a humanitarian catastrophe there -- it’s written -- and on top of it you will destroy the perspective of a political process that we all want to give a boost to.”
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