Syrian town mourns victims of recent shelling

The streets of Al-Sahharah, some 25 kilometres west of Aleppo, are hushed. Here on the outskirts of Syria's biggest city, residents say government troops bombarded the area with heavy shelling as they advanced into Aleppo. Now, residents are left to mourn their dead. Fighting back tears, one woman curses Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who she holds personally responsible for the killing of civilians. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNNAMED RESIDENT, SAYING: "May Allah destroy you, Bashar," she says, "May Allah destroy you." One man says his son was killed. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNNAMED RESIDENT SAYING: "See this is my house, which was shelled. That is how Bashar killed my son. May Allah defy you Bashar. God is greatest. May Allah defy unjust people." For those who survived the mortar fire, getting food is a challenge. The United Nations has warned that up to 3 million Syrians are likely to need food aid over the next 12 month, as the raging conflict has prevented many farmers from harvesting their crops.