Trouble in Aleppo

The conflict in Syria has reached another critical stage.

On Wednesday, Syrian government forces severed two key rebel supply routes into the city of Aleppo, which is close to the Turkish-Syrian border and one of the ravaged nation’s largest cities. The city of Aleppo is key for rebel forces as its proximity to their allies (Turkey) allows for vital supplies to come through. This strategic accomplishment for the Syrian government comes amidst a full-fledged offensive by government forces in the northwest portion of the country. The offensive is also backed by “unprecedented” bombardments from Russia’s air force. However, the timing of this offensive could not be any worse…

On Monday, the U.N. officially announced the start peace talks in Geneva between the Syrian government and opposition leaders. Unfortunately, this recent government assault threatens to disrupt or completely dismantle the peace talks. Tensions are high on all sides; the war between the government and rebels rages on and the death count in Syria only rises.