Ten of thousands of Syrians fled Aleppo on Friday as Russian-backed Syrian regime forces laid siege to the city that is in part controlled by rebel forces. The United Nations said that at least 15,000 people had fled the city, while the Syrian opposition coalition put the number at 40,000. The retaking of Aleppo would represent a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad’s government, as the city was once the country’s largest commercial hub. The siege follows the failure of Syrian peace talks in Geneva earlier in the week.
