BEIRUT—Syrian President Bashar Assad accused western countries of seeking a ceasefire in the city of Aleppo in order to save “the terrorists” as the ceasefire deal between rebels and the Syrian government effectively collapsed on Wednesday. The dramatic developments surrounding Aleppo — which would restore the remainder of what was once Syria’s largest city to Assad’s forces after months of heavy fighting and a crippling siege — followed reports of mass killings by government forces closing in on the final few blocks still held by the rebels. "The clashes are violent and bombardment is very heavy... it seems as though everything (the ceasefire) is finished," Rami Abdulrahman, director of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) monitoring group, said. World leaders and aid agencies issued dramatic appeals on behalf of trapped residents earlier Tuesday, and the UN human rights office said that pro-government forces reportedly killed 82 civilians "on the spot" as they closed in on remaining rebel districts. “In all, as of yesterday evening we have received reports of pro-government forces killing at least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children,” Colville told a news briefing, naming the Iraqi armed group Harakat al-Nujaba as reportedly involved in the killings.
Shelling breaks the ceasefire in Aleppo causing disruption to the evacuation of rebels and civilians.