Syria's Aleppo 'turns red' as another clinic is bombed

At least one clinic in Syria's war-torn Aleppo was bombed on Friday morning, as the city recovers from a week of heavy bombing leading to the death of dozens.

The attack injured several people including medical staff, civil defence team the White Helmets told AFP. 

It comes two days after regime air raids hit Aleppo's al-Quds hospital killing 30 people including one of the city's last remaining paediatricians.

'Aleppo is burning'

Staff at the clinic damaged in Friday's bombing offered Aleppo residents urgently needed dental treatment and cared for patients with chronic illnesses.

Its damage heaps on further pressure to overstretched medical services in rebel areas, which has seen dozens of health facilities bombed and many health workers killed.

Friday prayers in Aleppo were cancelled for the first time after fears that gatherings could become targets for regime and Russian war planes.

Regime media claimed that a rebel rocket hit worshippers outside a mosque in Aleppo killing 15 people after Friday prayers.

Social media users are turning their profile pictures red in solidarity with Syria. Users have used a blank red image on their profile pictures with the Facebook hashtag #‎MakeFacebookRed‬ while Twitter users are using the hashtag #AleppoIsBurning to highlight the bloodshed of civilians in the city.

The Syrian National Coalition has described the up-step in violence this week as an attempt by the regime to disrupt peace talks to enable Damascus to score a military victory over the rebels – with the support of Russia and Iran.

Russia has bombed rebel territories across Syria, while Iran has provided militias and military units to beef up the regime's badly depleted forces.

President of the Syrian Coalition Anas al-Abdah said that the regime has "buried the truce" and that it had carried out 2,500 breaches of the ceasefire, while Russia had broken the agreement 165 times.

Over the past week, regime air raids and shelling have left over 200 dead in Aleppo, including many children.

Regime of silence

With the earlier truce in shatters, Reuters reported that US and Russian officials have discussed a "regime of silence", which will include a new 24-hour ceasefire in Aleppo, and 72-hour cessation of fighting in Latakia.

Washington and Moscow would both enforce the truce, but it is still unclear how.

Later in the afternoon, Damascus announced a ceasefire in the capital and Latakia but not Aleppo, despite being the most badly affected city by recent fighting.

Recent bombing by the regime and Russia is believed to be an attempt to "soften up" of rebel defences before a new offensive by Damascus forces in Aleppo.

Syrian regime media have also said that a "decisive battle" will soon take place in the city, something that would replicate the regime's surprise attack in February during peace talks.

Regime forces have been massing in the city and now includes regular Iranian forces who are believed to be providing military support and tactical advice.