A/HRC/31/68 31. YPG has also confronted other opponents whenever its control over what they consider its territory has been challenged. It has fought Jabhat al-Nusra and the antigovernment armed groups in Aleppo northern countryside, and intermittently clashed with pro-government National Defence Forces, in particular since it reinforced its control over additional areas in Hasakah. 32. Growing in complexity, the Syrian conflict has involved an increasing number of belligerents on a multitude of interconnected front lines. While no party seems able to achieve “victory”, all appear to have sufficient capacity to sustain operations for the foreseeable future, perpetuating death and destruction along the way. IV. Destruction of a country A. Destruction of cities, towns and villages 33. Destruction of the structures of civilian life – houses, businesses, schools, parks, markets and hospitals among them – continues apace as the conflict storms towards its sixth year. The proliferation of warring parties and front lines has challenged the ability of civilians to survive even further.3 34. Aerial bombardments continued to pummel civilian-inhabited areas controlled by anti-government armed groups, Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS, resulting in hundreds of casualties. Civilians remaining in localities that have suffered attacks for several years are often unable to leave owing to personal circumstances, including poverty, chronic ill health or disability and unwillingness to abandon the family’s personal property. In besieged areas, civilians are prevented from leaving. 35. Areas not under government control suffered from ground shelling by progovernment forces. Many missile and rocket attacks were launched on areas containing no discernible military targets. Where they resulted in casualties, the majority – if not all – were civilians, including a large number of children. 36. In Aleppo city, the neighbourhoods of Al-Firdous, Al-Kalasa, Al-Huluk, Al-Sukkari and Al-Saliheen experienced aerial bombardments throughout the period under review. Numerous attacks with heavy civilian casualties were documented from October to December. 37. In the south and east of Aleppo governorate, aerial bombardments by progovernment forces presaged a movement of Syrian ground forces into the area. The air strikes prompted the mass displacements of tens of thousands of men, women and children. Some of the internally displaced moved to the Azaz region of Aleppo governorate, where there are intense clashes along multiple front lines. Others fled towards Idlib and into makeshift camps along the border with Turkey. This influx has strained camps, which have scarcely been able to provide for the needs of existing internally displaced persons, and where the infrastructure to support civilian life is inadequate. 3 The proliferation of warring parties has also challenged the identification of those responsible for particular attacks. “Pro-government forces” denotes Syrian and Russian forces conducting aerial attacks. “Government forces” denotes attacks launched by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic alone. The “coalition led by the United States” refers to a group of 11 States currently launching air strikes on areas of the Syrian Arab Republic controlled by ISIS. 7