The two largest hospitals in the rebel-held part of Aleppo have been hit by air strikes.<br /><br /> Aid workers say the raids, which happened at 0400 on Wednesday morning, took both hospitals out of service.<br /><br /> “A military plane targeted the sites directly,” said Adham Sahloul from the US-based NGO the Syrian American Medical Society.<br /><br /> “Now that these two sites are out of service, there are only six hospitals left in operation in the east of Aleppo,” Sahloul added, describing the attacks as deliberate.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Workers wounded<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Three employees – a nurse, an ambulance driver and an accountant – were injured at one of the hospitals.<br /><br /> A generator was destroyed in the other.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Who was behind the attacks?<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> It is not clear.<br /><br /> Both the Syrian government and its ally, Russia, are engaged in a bombing campaign on eastern Aleppo, which the Syrian Army wants to retake.<br /><br /> So far, there has been no confirmation or denial.<br /><br /> Monitors say Syria’s government and its Russian backers have stepped up air attacks on rebel-held parts of the city since the end of a ceasefire last week.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> At least 22 die in attacks on Tuesday<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> At least 22 people are feared to have died in a bomb attack on a building in Aleppo’s Al Shaar neighbourhood on Tuesday.<br /><br /> Local activists claim the so-called “bunker-buster” bombs were used in the attack.<br /><br /> The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 23 people died in air raids in Aleppo on Tuesday.<br /><br /> The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers clear through the rubble.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Papal intervention<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Pope Francis has urged forces to stop bombing civilians in Aleppo.<br /><br /> The Pontiff warned them they would face God’s judgement.<br /><br /> Speaking to tens of thousands of people in St Peter’s Square, Francis called Aleppo “this already martyred city, where everybody is dying – children, old people, sick people, young people.”<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> International reaction<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The US says the assault on Aleppo is proof that President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and regional allies have abandoned the international peace process.<br /><br /> Washington, which agreed a ceasefire with Russia this month that collapsed after a week, says Moscow and Damascus are guilty of “barbarism” and war crimes for targeting civilians, health workers and aid deliveries in air strikes.<br />
