Aleppo University Attack

Twin explosions rocked a university in Syria's largest city of Aleppo on January 15, 2013, the first day of exams, killing a reported 87 people, students and others, and wounding many more.

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Collection of SANA Articles, Jan. 16:


 * "On the afternoon of Tuesday, January, 15th, 2013, the armed terrorist groups targeted the University of Aleppo with two rocket shells from al-Lairamoun neighborhood, causing the martyrdom of 82 students and the injury of hundreds"

Jerusalem Post:
 * At least 52 people were killed and dozens wounded on Tuesday in two explosions that rocked the university in Aleppo, Syria's biggest city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Two explosions hit the university during the day while students were sitting exams. The cause of the explosions was not clear but the government and opposition activists blamed each other.

Guardian, Jan. 16:
 * The Russian foreign ministry has condemned the attack on Aleppo and blamed "terrorists" who oppose the government for the bombing, Reuters reports.

The death toll had been revised to 87 and climbing by the following day, when a triple car-bombing was reported (killing at least 22 at a military checkpoint) in Idilb, the next largest city in the north. Fox News

Al-Nusra Front responsibility
From Facebook (2):
 * "Al Nusra Front, the terrorist group deemed al Qaeda in Syria adopted, on its FB page the attack on Aleppo University. The post was then deleted 12 minutes later. The post says the attack was by a suicide bomber in a car filled with explosives, targeting Aleppo University, shabiha and a security base. Though it's still not confirmed what the University was attacked with exactly, Al Nusra Front appears to have been behind the attack."

...more
 * "Al Nusra Front, the terrorist organization deemed al Qaeda in Syria has basically just exposed themselves as being behind the Aleppo University massacre which left 82 people dead by distributing leaflets in Aleppo, threatening the people against sending their children to the university for exams prior to the attack on the University.
 * This is one of the leaflets calling for boycotting the exams at Aleppo university. Before the Aleppo University massacre, FSA said, "there will be no learning until the president is gone," and they tried to hold true to this threat. Education and independent thinking are a major threat to these radical groups and their sponsors."

British ITV's International Editor Bill Neely reports from Damascus on June 16, apparently unaware of the above:


 * The government's explanation is different. It said initially two rockets were fired from a rebel-held area of the city and hit the university. [...] The government has now changed its position. Syria's Information Minister has just given me another explanation. Omran al-Zouabi says the Islamist extremist group Jabhat al Nusra is responsible. He says the twin explosions a few minutes apart, the intent to kill large numbers of people, the targeting of a government building and the capability of the group to do such a thing, all points to them as the most likely perpetrators. Al Nusra does indeed go in for spectacular mass killings. [...] But al Nusra doesn't claim its attacks. Its policy is secrecy; deeds not words.

International reaction
The United States is appalled and saddened by the Syrian regime's deadly attack yesterday on the University of Aleppo," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
 * http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=56507

Russian FM says he cannot imagine anything more blasphemous than CNN’s accusation of Syrian regime of being behind deadly Aleppo blasts.
 * Lavrov hits out at US for blaming Syria regime for blasts

"SOHR holds the Syrian regime responsible for the Aleppo University massacre..."
 * https://www.facebook.com/syriaohr/posts/560068824022372

A Photo
http://imgur.com/Lsj8N "20 of the students in this picture died yesterday in an airstrike on Aleppo University" (group photo, alive and well) One comment offers "BTW the writing on top says" university of architecture engineering."