Russia’s envoy to the United Nations said on Tuesday a deal has been reached for rebel fighters to leave the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo.
“My latest information is that they indeed have an arrangement achieved on the ground that the fighters are going to leave the city,” Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters.
It could happen “within hours maybe,” he said.
‘We’re seeing the most cruel form of savagery in Aleppo.’— Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
The United Nations said earlier in the day it had reports of Syrian government troops and allied Iraqi militia killing civilians in eastern Aleppo, including 82 people in four different neighbourhoods in the last few days.
Rupert Colville, spokesman of the UN human rights office, voiced deep fear of retribution against thousands of civilians still believed to be holed up in a “hellish corner” of less than a square kilometre of opposition-held areas.
“In all as of yesterday [Monday] evening, we have received reports of pro-government forces killing at least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children, in four different neighbourhoods,” Colville told a news briefing, adding there could be “many more.”
“The reports we had are of people being shot in the street trying to flee and shot in their homes.”
UN humanitarian spokesman Jens Laerke said it looked like “a complete meltdown of humanity in Aleppo.”
- City under siege: Inside the battle for Aleppo
- Road to Aleppo paved with many things — peace is not one of them
Rebel defences in Aleppo collapsed on Monday, leading to a broad advance by the Syrian army across the remaining insurgent territory in eastern Aleppo and a retreat of opposition fighters to a few districts.
The military said Monday it controlled 99 per cent of the former opposition enclave, signalling an impending end to the rebels’ four-year hold over parts of the city. Retaking Aleppo would be President Bashar al-Assad’s biggest victory yet in the civil war.
“What we are seeing right now is the last stand,” CBC’s Derek Stoffel said from Jerusalem.
“It could be hours, maybe days,” before the city is completely retaken, he said.
Nowhere to run
The International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday urged those fighting in Aleppo to do all they can to protect and spare civilian lives.
The ICRC said in a statement that thousands of people with no part in the violence “have literally nowhere safe to run.”
ICRC said a deepening humanitarian catastrophe and further loss of life can be averted only if the basic rules of warfare — and of humanity — are applied.
Turkey is negotiating with Russia to open a corridor to evacuate rebel fighters and civilians from the remaining opposition-held districts of the city, but no agreement has yet been reached, a senior Turkish official said.
A man carries an injured child after airstrikes on a rebel-held neighbourhood in September. The military said Monday it controlled 99 per cent of the former opposition enclave in Aleppo. (Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters)
“Efforts are still underway to open a corridor for the rebels and civilians in Aleppo, and evacuate them from the region. There has been no agreement on this issue yet,” the Turkish official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said a ceasefire was needed to allow civilians to be evacuated and Ankara would intensify talks in coming days with Russia and other countries, although he said they were already in constant contact.
“We’re seeing the most cruel form of savagery in Aleppo, and the regime and its supporters are responsible for this. The wounded are not being let out and people are dying of starvation,” he told a news conference in Ankara.
[Source:-CBC Ca]
