Terrorists shell Syrian northwestern city of Aleppo, leaving several civilians injured

Foreign-backed terrorists fighting the government in Syria have shelled the northwestern city of Aleppo, leaving several civilians injured.

The terrorists fired several mortar shells at the al-Khalidiya area during Friday prayers.

On Friday, Syrian Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij reaffirmed Damascus’ determination to fully uproot terrorism and restore security and stability “to every single inch of land.”

Meanwhile, the Syrian army carried out a military operation in the northeastern city of al-Hasakah, creating a 25-kilometer secure perimeter around the city.

A US-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes on ISIL positions in Iraq and Syria, but the air raids have so far failed to dislodge the terrorists.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since March 2011. More than 200,000 people have so far been killed in the conflict, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein.

The Western powers and some of their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — are reportedly supporting the militants operating against the Syrian government.