The Syrian army said on Sunday that it had recaptured a flashpoint area from rebels near Damascus that supplies water to the capital.

Wadi Barada had been the scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks between regime and rebel forces that tested a fragile nationwide truce and left millions in Damascus facing water shortages.

&quot;Our armed forces ... have accomplished their mission by restoring security and stability in the region of Wadi Barada&quot;, the army said in a statement carried by state television.

The announcement came a day after the army entered the water pumping station in Wadi Barada for the first time in four years.

Under a deal with the authorities, rebels can choose to stay in the area but hand over their weapons, or leave to the northern province of Idlib, last major bastion of the armed opposition.

Around 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs have been without water since fighting intensified in the Wadi Barada area in late December.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Wadi Barada had been the scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks that left millions in Damascus facing water shortages

The Syrian army said on Sunday that it had recaptured a flashpoint area from rebels near Damascus that supplies water to the capital. Wadi Barada had been the scene of fierce fighting in recent weeks between regime and rebel forces that tested a fragile nationwide truce and left millions in Damascus facing water shortages. "Our armed forces ... have accomplished their mission by restoring security and stability in the region of Wadi Barada", the army said in a statement carried by state television. The announcement came a day after the army entered the water pumping station in Wadi Barada for the first time in four years. Under a deal with the authorities, rebels can choose to stay in the area but hand over their weapons, or leave to the northern province of Idlib, last major bastion of the armed opposition. Around 5.5 million people in Damascus and its suburbs have been without water since fighting intensified in the Wadi Barada area in late December. (AFP)

Syrian army says retakes key rebel area near Damascus

The Syrian army on Thursday said has full control of &nbsp;Aleppo, the government&#39;s biggest achievement in nearly&nbsp;six years of fighting.

The announcement was made as the last of the rebel fighters were evacuated from the war-torn city.&nbsp;

&quot;The liberation of Aleppo is not only a victory for Syria but also for those who really contribute to the fight against terrorism, notably Russia and Iran,&quot; state news agency SANA quoted President Bashar al-Assad as saying on Thursday.&nbsp;

The Syrian government now controls five major cities: Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Damascus, and Latakia.

According to the Red Cross, more than 4,000 rebel fighters have been evacuated during the final stages of the evacuation process.

The loss of east Aleppo is the biggest blow for the rebel fighters since the conflict began in 2011, which left more than&nbsp;310,000 people dead.

However, the evacuation process was met with difficulties, due to heavy snowfall and fall in temperatures..

&quot;Overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, in one of the last stages of the evacuation, more than 4,000 fighters were evacuated in private cars, vans, and pick-ups from eastern Aleppo,&quot; said Ingy Sedky, the spokeswoman in Syria for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Sedky said about 34,000 people had left rebel areas of Aleppo under the evacuation plan.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

The loss of east Aleppo is the biggest blow to the rebel fighters since the conflict began in 2011, which left more than?310,000 dead

The Syrian army on Thursday said has full control of Aleppo, the government's biggest achievement in nearly six years of fighting. The announcement was made as the last of the rebel fighters were evacuated from the war-torn city. "The liberation of Aleppo is not only a victory for Syria but also for those who really contribute to the fight against terrorism, notably Russia and Iran," state news agency SANA quoted President Bashar al-Assad as saying on Thursday. The Syrian government now controls five major cities: Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Damascus, and Latakia. According to the Red Cross, more than 4,000 rebel fighters have been evacuated during the final stages of the evacuation process. The loss of east Aleppo is the biggest blow for the rebel fighters since the conflict began in 2011, which left more than 310,000 people dead. However, the evacuation process was met with difficulties, due to heavy snowfall and fall in temperatures.. "Overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, in one of the last stages of the evacuation, more than 4,000 fighters were evacuated in private cars, vans, and pick-ups from eastern Aleppo," said Ingy Sedky, the spokeswoman in Syria for the International Committee of the Red Cross. Sedky said about 34,000 people had left rebel areas of Aleppo under the evacuation plan. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Syrian army: Aleppo recaptured after evacuation

Rebel resistance in the Syrian city of Aleppo ended on Tuesday after years of fighting and months of bitter siege and bombardment that culminated in a bloody retreat, as insurgents agreed to withdraw in a ceasefire.

The battle of Aleppo, one of the worst of a civil war that has drawn in global and regional powers, has ended with victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his military coalition of Russia, Iran and regional Shi&#39;ite militias.

For rebels, their expected departure with light weapons starting on Wednesday morning for opposition-held regions west of the city is a crushing blow to their hopes of ousting Assad after revolting against him during the 2011 Arab uprisings.

However, the war will still be far from over, with insurgents retaining major strongholds elsewhere in Syria, and the jihadist Islamic State group holding swathes of the east and recapturing the ancient city of Palmyra this week.

&quot;Over the last hour we have received information that the military activities in east Aleppo have stopped, it has stopped,&quot; Russian UN&nbsp;Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told a heated UN&nbsp;Security Council meeting. &quot;The Syrian government has established control over east Aleppo.&quot;

Rebel officials said fighting would end on Tuesday night and a source in the pro-Assad military alliance said the evacuation of fighters would begin at around dawn on Wednesday. A Reuters reporter in Aleppo said late on Tuesday that the booms of the bombardment could no longer be heard.

Fighters and their families, along with civilians who have thrown in their lot with the rebels, will have until Wednesday evening to quit the city, a Turkish government source said. The ceasefire was negotiated by Turkey and Russia, without US&nbsp;involvement.

A commander with the Jabha Shamiya rebel group said that Aleppo was a moral victory for the insurgents. &quot;We were steadfast ... but unfortunately nobody stood with us at all&quot;, the commander, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.

&quot;Uncompromising victory&quot;

The plight of civilians has caused global outrage in the wake of a sudden series of advances by the Syrian army and its allies across the rebel enclave over the past two weeks.

&quot;We appear to be witnessing nothing less than ... a total uncompromising military victory,&quot; UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon told the UN&nbsp;Security Council on Tuesday.

The rout of rebels from their ever-shrinking territory in Aleppo sparked a mass flight of terrified civilians and insurgents in bitter weather, a crisis the United Nations said was a &quot;complete meltdown of humanity&quot;. There were food and water shortages in rebel areas with all hospitals closed.

The United Nations earlier on Tuesday voiced deep concern about reports it had received of Syrian soldiers and allied Iraqi fighters summarily shooting dead 82 people in recaptured east Aleppo districts. It accused them of &quot;slaughter&quot;.

&quot;The reports we had are of people being shot in the street trying to flee and shot in their homes,&quot; said Rupert Colville, a UN&nbsp;spokesman. &quot;There could be many more.&quot;

&quot;They have gone from siege to slaughter,&quot; British UN&nbsp;ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. &quot;Aleppo will join the ranks of those events in world history that define modern evil, that stain our conscience decades later - Halabja, Rwanda, Srebrenica and now Aleppo,&quot; said US&nbsp;ambassador Samantha Power.

The Syrian army has denied carrying out killings or torture among those captured, and its main ally Russia said on Tuesday rebels had &quot;kept over 100,000 people in east Aleppo as human shields&quot;.

An official with an Aleppo rebel group said the bulk of about 50,000 people was expected to be evacuated.

Fear stalked the city&#39;s streets. Some survivors trudged in the rain past dead bodies to the government-held west or the few districts still in rebel hands. Others stayed in their homes and awaited the Syrian army&#39;s arrival.

For all of them, fear of arrest, conscription or summary execution added to the daily terror of bombardment. &quot;People are saying the troops have lists of families of fighters and are asking them if they had sons with the terrorists. (They are) then either left or shot and left to die,&quot; said Abu Malek al-Shamali in Seif al-Dawla, one of the last rebel-held districts.

Wasteland of rubble

A Syrian military source said the evacuation of fighters would start at 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday. The source said fighters&#39; families would also leave, but did not mention other civilian evacuations.

&quot;We&#39;re going to watch this closely,&quot; US&nbsp;State Department spokesman John Kirby said. &quot;Obviously if it is true and there has been a ceasefire arrangement reached that not only stops the bombing and the violence but allows people to safely leave Aleppo, we would welcome it.&quot;

Behind those fleeing was a wasteland of flattened buildings, concrete rubble and bullet-pocked walls, where tens of thousands had lived until recent days under intense bombardment even after medical and rescue services had collapsed.

The once-flourishing economic centre with its renowned ancient sites has been pulverised during the war which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, created the world&#39;s worst refugee crisis and allowed for the rise of Islamic State.

The UN&#39;s Colville said the rebel-held area had become &quot;a hellish corner&quot; of less than a square kilometre. Its capture was imminent, he added.

The Syrian army and its allies could declare victory at any moment, a Syrian military source had said earlier, predicting the final fall of the rebel enclave on Tuesday or Wednesday, after insurgent defences collapsed on Monday.

Terrible conditions were described by city residents.

Abu Malek al-Shamali, a resident in the rebel area, said dead bodies lay in the streets. &quot;There are many corpses in Fardous and Bustan al-Qasr with no one to bury them,&rdquo; he said.

&quot;Last night people slept in the streets and in buildings where every flat has several families crowded in,&quot; he added.

Tide of refugees

State television broadcast footage of a tide of hundreds of refugees walking along a ravaged street, wearing thick clothes against the rain and cold, many with hoods or hats pulled tight around their faces, and hauling sacks or bags of belongings.

One man pushed a bicycle loaded with bags, another family pulled a cart on which sat an elderly woman. Another man carried on his back a small girl wearing a pink hat.

At the same time, a correspondent from a pro-Damascus television station spoke to camera from a part of Aleppo held by the government, standing in a tidy street with flowing traffic.

In some recaptured areas, people were returning to their shattered homes. A woman in her sixties, who identified herself as Umm Ali, or &quot;Ali&#39;s mother&quot;, said that she, her husband and her disabled daughter had no water.

They were looking after the orphaned children of another daughter killed in the bombing, she said, and were reduced to putting pots and pans in the street to collect rainwater.

In another building near al-Shaar district, which was taken by the army last week, a man was fixing the balcony of his house with his children. &quot;No matter the circumstances, our home is better than displacement,&quot; he said.

&quot;The crushing of Aleppo, the immeasurably terrifying toll on its people, the bloodshed, the wanton slaughter of men, women and children, the destruction &ndash; and we are nowhere near the end of this cruel conflict,&quot; UN&nbsp;High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra&#39;ad al-Hussein said in a statement.

(Reuters)

The rebels are expected to depart with light weapons starting on Wednesday morning

Rebel resistance in the Syrian city of Aleppo ended on Tuesday after years of fighting and months of bitter siege and bombardment that culminated in a bloody retreat, as insurgents agreed to withdraw in a ceasefire. The battle of Aleppo, one of the worst of a civil war that has drawn in global and regional powers, has ended with victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his military coalition of Russia, Iran and regional Shi'ite militias. For rebels, their expected departure with light weapons starting on Wednesday morning for opposition-held regions west of the city is a crushing blow to their hopes of ousting Assad after revolting against him during the 2011 Arab uprisings. However, the war will still be far from over, with insurgents retaining major strongholds elsewhere in Syria, and the jihadist Islamic State group holding swathes of the east and recapturing the ancient city of Palmyra this week. "Over the last hour we have received information that the military activities in east Aleppo have stopped, it has stopped," Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told a heated UN Security Council meeting. "The Syrian government has established control over east Aleppo." Rebel officials said fighting would end on Tuesday night and a source in the pro-Assad military alliance said the evacuation of fighters would begin at around dawn on Wednesday. A Reuters reporter in Aleppo said late on Tuesday that the booms of the bombardment could no longer be heard. Fighters and their families, along with civilians who have thrown in their lot with the rebels, will have until Wednesday evening to quit the city, a Turkish government source said. The ceasefire was negotiated by Turkey and Russia, without US involvement. A commander with the Jabha Shamiya rebel group said that Aleppo was a moral victory for the insurgents. "We were steadfast ... but unfortunately nobody stood with us at all", the commander, who declined to be identified, told Reuters. "Uncompromising victory" The plight of civilians has caused global outrage in the wake of a sudden series of advances by the Syrian army and its allies across the rebel enclave over the past two weeks. "We appear to be witnessing nothing less than ... a total uncompromising military victory," UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. The rout of rebels from their ever-shrinking territory in Aleppo sparked a mass flight of terrified civilians and insurgents in bitter weather, a crisis the United Nations said was a "complete meltdown of humanity". There were food and water shortages in rebel areas with all hospitals closed. The United Nations earlier on Tuesday voiced deep concern about reports it had received of Syrian soldiers and allied Iraqi fighters summarily shooting dead 82 people in recaptured east Aleppo districts. It accused them of "slaughter". "The reports we had are of people being shot in the street trying to flee and shot in their homes," said Rupert Colville, a UN spokesman. "There could be many more." "They have gone from siege to slaughter," British UN ambassador Matthew Rycroft said. "Aleppo will join the ranks of those events in world history that define modern evil, that stain our conscience decades later - Halabja, Rwanda, Srebrenica and now Aleppo," said US ambassador Samantha Power. The Syrian army has denied carrying out killings or torture among those captured, and its main ally Russia said on Tuesday rebels had "kept over 100,000 people in east Aleppo as human shields". An official with an Aleppo rebel group said the bulk of about 50,000 people was expected to be evacuated. Fear stalked the city's streets. Some survivors trudged in the rain past dead bodies to the government-held west or the few districts still in rebel hands. Others stayed in their homes and awaited the Syrian army's arrival. For all of them, fear of arrest, conscription or summary execution added to the daily terror of bombardment. "People are saying the troops have lists of families of fighters and are asking them if they had sons with the terrorists. (They are) then either left or shot and left to die," said Abu Malek al-Shamali in Seif al-Dawla, one of the last rebel-held districts. Wasteland of rubble A Syrian military source said the evacuation of fighters would start at 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday. The source said fighters' families would also leave, but did not mention other civilian evacuations. "We're going to watch this closely," US State Department spokesman John Kirby said. "Obviously if it is true and there has been a ceasefire arrangement reached that not only stops the bombing and the violence but allows people to safely leave Aleppo, we would welcome it." Behind those fleeing was a wasteland of flattened buildings, concrete rubble and bullet-pocked walls, where tens of thousands had lived until recent days under intense bombardment even after medical and rescue services had collapsed. The once-flourishing economic centre with its renowned ancient sites has been pulverised during the war which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, created the world's worst refugee crisis and allowed for the rise of Islamic State. The UN's Colville said the rebel-held area had become "a hellish corner" of less than a square kilometre. Its capture was imminent, he added. The Syrian army and its allies could declare victory at any moment, a Syrian military source had said earlier, predicting the final fall of the rebel enclave on Tuesday or Wednesday, after insurgent defences collapsed on Monday. Terrible conditions were described by city residents. Abu Malek al-Shamali, a resident in the rebel area, said dead bodies lay in the streets. "There are many corpses in Fardous and Bustan al-Qasr with no one to bury them,” he said. "Last night people slept in the streets and in buildings where every flat has several families crowded in," he added. Tide of refugees State television broadcast footage of a tide of hundreds of refugees walking along a ravaged street, wearing thick clothes against the rain and cold, many with hoods or hats pulled tight around their faces, and hauling sacks or bags of belongings. One man pushed a bicycle loaded with bags, another family pulled a cart on which sat an elderly woman. Another man carried on his back a small girl wearing a pink hat. At the same time, a correspondent from a pro-Damascus television station spoke to camera from a part of Aleppo held by the government, standing in a tidy street with flowing traffic. In some recaptured areas, people were returning to their shattered homes. A woman in her sixties, who identified herself as Umm Ali, or "Ali's mother", said that she, her husband and her disabled daughter had no water. They were looking after the orphaned children of another daughter killed in the bombing, she said, and were reduced to putting pots and pans in the street to collect rainwater. In another building near al-Shaar district, which was taken by the army last week, a man was fixing the balcony of his house with his children. "No matter the circumstances, our home is better than displacement," he said. "The crushing of Aleppo, the immeasurably terrifying toll on its people, the bloodshed, the wanton slaughter of men, women and children, the destruction – and we are nowhere near the end of this cruel conflict," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said in a statement. (Reuters)

Battle of Aleppo ends after years of bloodshed with rebel withdrawal

The Islamic State jihadist group recaptured Palmyra on Sunday after Syrian armed forces pulled out from the desert city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

&quot;Despite the ongoing air raids, IS retook all of Palmyra after the Syrian army withdrew south of the city,&quot; said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

The IS-linked Amaq news agency also reported that IS regained &quot;full control&quot; of the city on Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and IS-linked Amaq news agency both reported that IS had recaptured the city

The Islamic State jihadist group recaptured Palmyra on Sunday after Syrian armed forces pulled out from the desert city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "Despite the ongoing air raids, IS retook all of Palmyra after the Syrian army withdrew south of the city," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. The IS-linked Amaq news agency also reported that IS regained "full control" of the city on Sunday. (AFP)

IS regains 'full control' of Palmyra after Syria army withdrawal

The Syrian army&#39;s advance in Aleppo slowed on Thursday but a victory was still firmly in sight after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed that retaking the city would change the course of the six-year-old war.

Russia&#39;s RIA news agency quoted Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov as saying the Syrian army, which has captured territory including Aleppo&#39;s historic Old City in recent days, had halted military activity to let civilians leave rebel-held territory.

However, Reuters reporters in a government-held part of the city said bombardment could still be heard after his remarks were published. Washington said it had no confirmation that the army had ceased fire.

Earlier, a Reuters journalist said government forces were shelling rebel-held areas of southwest Aleppo into the afternoon. Columns of smoke were rising from rebel-held areas.

The last two weeks have seen rebels driven from most of their territory in what was once Syria&#39;s largest city, the eastern section of which the insurgents have controlled since 2012.

Although there are still many rural areas in rebel hands, Aleppo is their last big urban redoubt. The prospect of its fall, following months of government gains elsewhere, has brought Assad closer to victory than at any point since the early months of a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands and made half of Syrians homeless.

&quot;Aleppo will completely change the course of the battle in all of Syria,&quot; Assad said, speaking in an interview with the Syrian newspaper al-Watan.

Moscow and Washington are trying to negotiate a ceasefire to allow civilians to escape eastern Aleppo and aid to arrive. Russia, which backs the army with air strikes, also wants the United States to urge rebel fighters to abandon their territory and accept transport out, which the Syrian government has provided fighters who agreed to lay down arms elsewhere.

The US&nbsp;state department said secretary of state John Kerry had spoken by telephone to Lavrov to discuss a ceasefire. The two also met face to face on the sidelines of a conference in Hamburg.

The rebels have called for an immediate five-day ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians and wounded, but have so far given no indication they are ready to withdraw.

The UN&nbsp;assessment for diplomacy was bleak. Russia and the United States were &quot;poles apart&quot;, UN&nbsp;Syria humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said. Five months of talks over aid plans had all failed and produced &quot;nothing&quot;.

&quot;We are ... witnessing talks on Aleppo which are just trying to tailor and to manage the Syrian and Russian victory,&quot; a European diplomat told reporters on condition of anonymity.

More than 800 people have been killed and up to 3,500 wounded in eastern Aleppo in the past 26 days, while the remaining trapped civilians await an effective death sentence, the president of Aleppo local council said.

&quot;Today 150,000 people are threatened with extermination. We are calling for a halt to the bombing and guarantees of safe passage of all,&quot; Brita Haji Hassan said during a trip to Geneva.

United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday he planned to meet &quot;people around the team&quot; of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

&#39;War will not end&#39;

Fighting raged on around the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Syrian army trying to push into the few remaining rebel-held Aleppo neighbourhoods.

Pro-Damascus media reported that Syrian government forces and their allies had launched attacks against insurgents in the Sukkari, Kalasa and Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhoods, west and south of the ancient citadel.

An opposition activist in Aleppo said insurgents had staved off the attacks on the latter two districts.

A Syrian military source reported the army and its allies had also advanced in the Sheikh Saeed district in the south of the rebel enclave. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, also reported that.

Outside of Aleppo, the government and its allies were also putting severe pressure on remaining rebel redoubts.

In his interview, Assad said the army advances will completely change the course of the war. He described Aleppo as the &quot;last hope&quot; of rebels and their backers, although he said the war would continue once it falls.

&quot;The battle of Aleppo will be a gain, but ... it doesn&#39;t mean the end of the war in Syria. It is a significant landmark towards the end of the battle, but the war in Syria will not end until terrorism is eliminated,&quot; he said. Damascus refers to all insurgents as terrorists.

&#39;Make a desert and call it peace&#39;&nbsp;

Retaking Aleppo would also be a success for President Vladimir Putin who intervened to save Moscow&#39;s ally in September 2015 with air strikes, and for Shi&#39;ite Iran, whose elite Islamic Republic Guard Corps has suffered casualties fighting for Assad.

The war has seen the rise of the ultra-hardline Islamic State group, which still controls areas of eastern Syria. Moscow and Damascus say only support for Assad will make it possible to defeat Islamic State. Western countries say Assad&#39;s harsh war tactics feed the anger that allowed Islamic State to grow.

The head of Britain&#39;s MI6 foreign intelligence agency Alex Younger warned on Thursday that Islamic State was plotting attacks on the West &quot;without ever having to leave Syria&quot;.

&quot;Russia and the Syrian regime seek to make a desert and call it peace. The human tragedy is heart-breaking,&quot; he added.

Nearly 150 civilians, most disabled or in need of urgent medical care, were evacuated overnight from a hospital in Aleppo&#39;s Old City, in the first major evacuation from the eastern sector, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

It urged &quot;all parties to allow a humanitarian pause,&quot; adding that the situation in east Aleppo &quot;is known to be catastrophic&quot;.

Tawfik Chamaa, a representative of the Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations (UOSSM), said 1,500 people needed medical evacuation, but any evacuation should have international observers to prevent them being &quot;executed or diverted on the way to hospital&quot;.

(Reuters)

The Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the Syrian army had halted military activity to let civilians leave rebel-held territory

The Syrian army's advance in Aleppo slowed on Thursday but a victory was still firmly in sight after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad vowed that retaking the city would change the course of the six-year-old war. Russia's RIA news agency quoted Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov as saying the Syrian army, which has captured territory including Aleppo's historic Old City in recent days, had halted military activity to let civilians leave rebel-held territory. However, Reuters reporters in a government-held part of the city said bombardment could still be heard after his remarks were published. Washington said it had no confirmation that the army had ceased fire. Earlier, a Reuters journalist said government forces were shelling rebel-held areas of southwest Aleppo into the afternoon. Columns of smoke were rising from rebel-held areas. The last two weeks have seen rebels driven from most of their territory in what was once Syria's largest city, the eastern section of which the insurgents have controlled since 2012. Although there are still many rural areas in rebel hands, Aleppo is their last big urban redoubt. The prospect of its fall, following months of government gains elsewhere, has brought Assad closer to victory than at any point since the early months of a civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands and made half of Syrians homeless. "Aleppo will completely change the course of the battle in all of Syria," Assad said, speaking in an interview with the Syrian newspaper al-Watan. Moscow and Washington are trying to negotiate a ceasefire to allow civilians to escape eastern Aleppo and aid to arrive. Russia, which backs the army with air strikes, also wants the United States to urge rebel fighters to abandon their territory and accept transport out, which the Syrian government has provided fighters who agreed to lay down arms elsewhere. The US state department said secretary of state John Kerry had spoken by telephone to Lavrov to discuss a ceasefire. The two also met face to face on the sidelines of a conference in Hamburg. The rebels have called for an immediate five-day ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians and wounded, but have so far given no indication they are ready to withdraw. The UN assessment for diplomacy was bleak. Russia and the United States were "poles apart", UN Syria humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said. Five months of talks over aid plans had all failed and produced "nothing". "We are ... witnessing talks on Aleppo which are just trying to tailor and to manage the Syrian and Russian victory," a European diplomat told reporters on condition of anonymity. More than 800 people have been killed and up to 3,500 wounded in eastern Aleppo in the past 26 days, while the remaining trapped civilians await an effective death sentence, the president of Aleppo local council said. "Today 150,000 people are threatened with extermination. We are calling for a halt to the bombing and guarantees of safe passage of all," Brita Haji Hassan said during a trip to Geneva. United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday he planned to meet "people around the team" of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. 'War will not end' Fighting raged on around the Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Syrian army trying to push into the few remaining rebel-held Aleppo neighbourhoods. Pro-Damascus media reported that Syrian government forces and their allies had launched attacks against insurgents in the Sukkari, Kalasa and Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhoods, west and south of the ancient citadel. An opposition activist in Aleppo said insurgents had staved off the attacks on the latter two districts. A Syrian military source reported the army and its allies had also advanced in the Sheikh Saeed district in the south of the rebel enclave. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, also reported that. Outside of Aleppo, the government and its allies were also putting severe pressure on remaining rebel redoubts. In his interview, Assad said the army advances will completely change the course of the war. He described Aleppo as the "last hope" of rebels and their backers, although he said the war would continue once it falls. "The battle of Aleppo will be a gain, but ... it doesn't mean the end of the war in Syria. It is a significant landmark towards the end of the battle, but the war in Syria will not end until terrorism is eliminated," he said. Damascus refers to all insurgents as terrorists. 'Make a desert and call it peace' Retaking Aleppo would also be a success for President Vladimir Putin who intervened to save Moscow's ally in September 2015 with air strikes, and for Shi'ite Iran, whose elite Islamic Republic Guard Corps has suffered casualties fighting for Assad. The war has seen the rise of the ultra-hardline Islamic State group, which still controls areas of eastern Syria. Moscow and Damascus say only support for Assad will make it possible to defeat Islamic State. Western countries say Assad's harsh war tactics feed the anger that allowed Islamic State to grow. The head of Britain's MI6 foreign intelligence agency Alex Younger warned on Thursday that Islamic State was plotting attacks on the West "without ever having to leave Syria". "Russia and the Syrian regime seek to make a desert and call it peace. The human tragedy is heart-breaking," he added. Nearly 150 civilians, most disabled or in need of urgent medical care, were evacuated overnight from a hospital in Aleppo's Old City, in the first major evacuation from the eastern sector, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. It urged "all parties to allow a humanitarian pause," adding that the situation in east Aleppo "is known to be catastrophic". Tawfik Chamaa, a representative of the Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations (UOSSM), said 1,500 people needed medical evacuation, but any evacuation should have international observers to prevent them being "executed or diverted on the way to hospital". (Reuters)

Syrian army's Aleppo advance slows, but victory in sight

A top UN envoy on Wednesday pleaded with the Security Council to help break the siege of Aleppo, warning that residents of the Syrian city were at risk of extermination.

&quot;For the sake of humanity we call on -- we plead -- with the parties and those with influence to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard,&quot; said Stephen O&#39;Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs.

O&#39;Brien, speaking to a special Security Council session by video-link from London, said that the clock was ticking on the city as the winter set in.

Residents have been reduced to scavenging for food, hospitals are not functioning after repeated military strikes and an estimated 25,000 people have taken dangerous escape routes out of eastern Aleppo since Saturday alone, O&#39;Brien said.

O&#39;Brien said that aid convoys were ready to roll in from Turkey and western Aleppo but that they needed an end to the siege and protection for civilians.

&quot;These are neither new nor complicated demands -- those common threads of humanity that we all have a responsibility to rally around,&quot; he said.

&quot;Those parties that can&#39;t or won&#39;t live up to their basic obligations should know that they will one day be held accountable for their actions,&quot; he said.

The eastern part of Aleppo -- which was home to 250,000 people -- has been a key rebel stronghold since 2012.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces have carried out the four-month siege to retake control, enjoying military and diplomatic backing from Russia.

O&#39;Brien said he faced the persistent question as he traveled -- &quot;Why on Earth can the Security Council not come together to unite to put a stop to this suffering?&quot;

Clash at Security Council

Britain&#39;s ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, said he had a simple answer to O&#39;Brien&#39;s question on why the Security Council could not act -- Russia.

He accused Russia, which in October vetoed a resolution to stop the bombing in Aleppo, of supporting &quot;a deliberate act of starvation and a deliberate withholding of medical care.&quot;

&quot;The Syrian regime and Russia have been executing a plan that has now laid one million people under siege. And executing is an all too appropriate word,&quot; he said.

Russia&#39;s envoy, Vitaly Churkin, brushed off criticism and said Syria was seeking to eliminate extremists such as the Al-Nusra Front, which has rebranded itself the Fateh al-Sham Front after severing ties to Al-Qaeda.

&quot;We vehemently condemn any attempts to protect terrorists including any political action on a humanitarian pretext which, sadly alas, UN humanitarian works have been dragged into,&quot; Churkin said.

He accused Western powers of hypocrisy, saying there were also great humanitarian needs in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and Yemen where the United States is on the opposite side.

The US ambassador, Samantha Power, urged the Security Council to pass a resolution sponsored by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain that would mandate a 10-day military halt to allow humanitarian supplies to enter Aleppo.

&quot;This is a no-brainer. Anyone who tells you otherwise does not have the survival of Syrian civilians at heart,&quot; Power said.

But she feared a new Russian veto and acknowledged a brief halt &quot;is barely even a Band-Aid and it is a sign in some ways of just how low our bar has become.&quot;

(AFP)

Residents have been reduced to scavenging for food, hospitals are dysfunctional and thousands have escaped out of eastern Aleppo

A top UN envoy on Wednesday pleaded with the Security Council to help break the siege of Aleppo, warning that residents of the Syrian city were at risk of extermination. "For the sake of humanity we call on -- we plead -- with the parties and those with influence to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard," said Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs. O'Brien, speaking to a special Security Council session by video-link from London, said that the clock was ticking on the city as the winter set in. Residents have been reduced to scavenging for food, hospitals are not functioning after repeated military strikes and an estimated 25,000 people have taken dangerous escape routes out of eastern Aleppo since Saturday alone, O'Brien said. O'Brien said that aid convoys were ready to roll in from Turkey and western Aleppo but that they needed an end to the siege and protection for civilians. "These are neither new nor complicated demands -- those common threads of humanity that we all have a responsibility to rally around," he said. "Those parties that can't or won't live up to their basic obligations should know that they will one day be held accountable for their actions," he said. The eastern part of Aleppo -- which was home to 250,000 people -- has been a key rebel stronghold since 2012. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have carried out the four-month siege to retake control, enjoying military and diplomatic backing from Russia. O'Brien said he faced the persistent question as he traveled -- "Why on Earth can the Security Council not come together to unite to put a stop to this suffering?" Clash at Security Council Britain's ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, said he had a simple answer to O'Brien's question on why the Security Council could not act -- Russia. He accused Russia, which in October vetoed a resolution to stop the bombing in Aleppo, of supporting "a deliberate act of starvation and a deliberate withholding of medical care." "The Syrian regime and Russia have been executing a plan that has now laid one million people under siege. And executing is an all too appropriate word," he said. Russia's envoy, Vitaly Churkin, brushed off criticism and said Syria was seeking to eliminate extremists such as the Al-Nusra Front, which has rebranded itself the Fateh al-Sham Front after severing ties to Al-Qaeda. "We vehemently condemn any attempts to protect terrorists including any political action on a humanitarian pretext which, sadly alas, UN humanitarian works have been dragged into," Churkin said. He accused Western powers of hypocrisy, saying there were also great humanitarian needs in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and Yemen where the United States is on the opposite side. The US ambassador, Samantha Power, urged the Security Council to pass a resolution sponsored by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain that would mandate a 10-day military halt to allow humanitarian supplies to enter Aleppo. "This is a no-brainer. Anyone who tells you otherwise does not have the survival of Syrian civilians at heart," Power said. But she feared a new Russian veto and acknowledged a brief halt "is barely even a Band-Aid and it is a sign in some ways of just how low our bar has become." (AFP)

UN envoy warns Aleppo risks becoming 'one giant graveyard'

Syria&#39;s rebels lost all of the northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold in east Aleppo on Monday, as the army made significant advances in its offensive to recapture the entire city.

The regime gains have prompted an exodus of thousands of desperate civilians, some fleeing to districts held by the government or Kurdish forces, others heading south into areas still under opposition control.

&quot;The situation is disastrous,&quot; said Ibrahim Abu Al-Leith, a spokesman for the White Helmets rescue group in the Ansari neighbourhood.

&quot;There is mass displacement and morale is in the gutter,&quot; he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

&quot;People are sleeping in the streets. They don&#39;t have anything to eat or drink, but neither do we,&quot; he told AFP.

The loss of eastern Aleppo would be a potentially devastating blow to Syria&#39;s rebels, who seized the area in 2012.

The opposition has steadily lost territory since Russia intervened to bolster President Bashar al-Assad in September 2015.

On Monday, government forces seized the Sakhur, Haydariya and Sheikh Khodr districts, and Kurdish fighters took the Sheikh Fares neighbourhood from rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

&quot;This is their (the rebels&#39;) worst defeat since they seized half the city in 2012,&quot; Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The advances left all of northeast Aleppo under government control.

Hungry civilians

Syria&#39;s White Helmets warned on Monday they had no more fuel reserves for rescue vehicles.

In a video statement, the group urged &quot;all humanitarian, aid, and medical organisations to immediately intervene to put an end to the humanitarian disaster&quot; facing civilians in besieged Aleppo.

Nearly 10,000 civilians have fled the east, the Observatory said late Sunday, with about 6,000 moving to the Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood and 4,000 to government-held west Aleppo.

Kurdish officials published a video they said showed civilians crossing a field to Sheikh Maqsud, where local forces helped people cross a makeshift berm.

Syria&#39;s Kurds are officially aligned with neither the government nor the rebels, but the opposition views them as effectively allied with the regime in its efforts to recapture Aleppo.

Hundreds of civilians were also fleeing south to the remaining rebel-held districts with little more than the clothes they wore, an AFP correspondent said.

People in southern neighbourhoods were donating blankets and other items to the new arrivals, who had travelled on foot, exhausted, cold and hungry.

The United Nations said it was &quot;deeply concerned&quot; about civilians in the east, where international aid is exhausted and food stocks are desperately low.

The UN has appealed for access to the east many times, but has failed to secure the necessary guarantees to enable aid deliveries.

&quot;In terms of east Aleppo, we just need the green light from the people who control the roads going in because, as you know, the east of Aleppo is besieged,&quot; Ramesh Rajasingham, the UN&#39;s deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, told AFP.

&#39;Turning point&#39;

The government advances mean the regime now controls at least a third of eastern Aleppo, just under two weeks into its renewed bid to recapture the city.

State television said the army had captured the key Suleiman al-Halabi pumping station, which controls water supplies to government-held west Aleppo and has periodically been shut by rebels.

Three people were killed and 29 wounded in rebel fire on western Aleppo on Monday, state media said.

Regime bombardment of eastern districts killed six civilians, Abdel Rahman said.

The government assault of heavy air strikes, barrel bomb attacks and artillery fire has killed at least 235 civilians, including 27 children, in east Aleppo, according to the Observatory.

Rebel fire into the government-held west has also killed at least 27 civilians, among them 11 children, since November 15, it says.

Syria&#39;s Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government, said the next stage would be &quot;to divide the remaining (rebel-held) area into... districts that will be easily controlled and to capture them successively&quot;.

But British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called for an immediate ceasefire in Aleppo, saying the assault &quot;is threatening a humanitarian catastrophe&quot;.

More than 300,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

Syria&#39;s deputy foreign minister on Monday denounced accusations by &quot;western&quot; countries that it has used chemical weapons in the conflict as &quot;a campaign of lies&quot;.

Faisal Muqdad was speaking at the annual conference in The Hague of countries belonging to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

(AFP)

'The situation is disastrous,' said Ibrahim Abu Al-Leith, a spokesman for the White Helmets rescue group

Syria's rebels lost all of the northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold in east Aleppo on Monday, as the army made significant advances in its offensive to recapture the entire city. The regime gains have prompted an exodus of thousands of desperate civilians, some fleeing to districts held by the government or Kurdish forces, others heading south into areas still under opposition control. "The situation is disastrous," said Ibrahim Abu Al-Leith, a spokesman for the White Helmets rescue group in the Ansari neighbourhood. "There is mass displacement and morale is in the gutter," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "People are sleeping in the streets. They don't have anything to eat or drink, but neither do we," he told AFP. The loss of eastern Aleppo would be a potentially devastating blow to Syria's rebels, who seized the area in 2012. The opposition has steadily lost territory since Russia intervened to bolster President Bashar al-Assad in September 2015. On Monday, government forces seized the Sakhur, Haydariya and Sheikh Khodr districts, and Kurdish fighters took the Sheikh Fares neighbourhood from rebels, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. "This is their (the rebels') worst defeat since they seized half the city in 2012," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said. The advances left all of northeast Aleppo under government control. Hungry civilians Syria's White Helmets warned on Monday they had no more fuel reserves for rescue vehicles. In a video statement, the group urged "all humanitarian, aid, and medical organisations to immediately intervene to put an end to the humanitarian disaster" facing civilians in besieged Aleppo. Nearly 10,000 civilians have fled the east, the Observatory said late Sunday, with about 6,000 moving to the Kurdish-held Sheikh Maqsud neighbourhood and 4,000 to government-held west Aleppo. Kurdish officials published a video they said showed civilians crossing a field to Sheikh Maqsud, where local forces helped people cross a makeshift berm. Syria's Kurds are officially aligned with neither the government nor the rebels, but the opposition views them as effectively allied with the regime in its efforts to recapture Aleppo. Hundreds of civilians were also fleeing south to the remaining rebel-held districts with little more than the clothes they wore, an AFP correspondent said. People in southern neighbourhoods were donating blankets and other items to the new arrivals, who had travelled on foot, exhausted, cold and hungry. The United Nations said it was "deeply concerned" about civilians in the east, where international aid is exhausted and food stocks are desperately low. The UN has appealed for access to the east many times, but has failed to secure the necessary guarantees to enable aid deliveries. "In terms of east Aleppo, we just need the green light from the people who control the roads going in because, as you know, the east of Aleppo is besieged," Ramesh Rajasingham, the UN's deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for the Syria crisis, told AFP. 'Turning point' The government advances mean the regime now controls at least a third of eastern Aleppo, just under two weeks into its renewed bid to recapture the city. State television said the army had captured the key Suleiman al-Halabi pumping station, which controls water supplies to government-held west Aleppo and has periodically been shut by rebels. Three people were killed and 29 wounded in rebel fire on western Aleppo on Monday, state media said. Regime bombardment of eastern districts killed six civilians, Abdel Rahman said. The government assault of heavy air strikes, barrel bomb attacks and artillery fire has killed at least 235 civilians, including 27 children, in east Aleppo, according to the Observatory. Rebel fire into the government-held west has also killed at least 27 civilians, among them 11 children, since November 15, it says. Syria's Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government, said the next stage would be "to divide the remaining (rebel-held) area into... districts that will be easily controlled and to capture them successively". But British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called for an immediate ceasefire in Aleppo, saying the assault "is threatening a humanitarian catastrophe". More than 300,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. Syria's deputy foreign minister on Monday denounced accusations by "western" countries that it has used chemical weapons in the conflict as "a campaign of lies". Faisal Muqdad was speaking at the annual conference in The Hague of countries belonging to the Chemical Weapons Convention. (AFP)

Exodus as Syria rebels lose northeast Aleppo

Syrian regime forces took control of six rebel-held districts in eastern Aleppo over the weekend as they advanced their offensive to recapture Syria&#39;s second city.

Their wins included Masaken Hanano, the largest rebel-held district in eastern Aleppo.

Syrian forces also took control of Jabal Badra and Baadeeen and took three other districts on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The monitor said that Inzarat, Al-Sakan al-Shaabi and Ain al-Tall have been taken over by government forces and the army has made large forays into Sakhur and nearby Haidariya.

It said government forces are &quot;in control of most of the northern part&quot; of Aleppo. The Observatory also reported that more than 4,000 civilians had fled east Aleppo overnight Saturday

&quot;The rebels have lost at least 30 per cent of the territory they once controlled in Aleppo,&quot; Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said, news agency AFP reported. &quot;It is the first exodus of this kind from east Aleppo since 2012.&quot;

Masaken Hanano was the first district to be taken by the rebels in 2012.

The regime has focussed its attention on the Sakhur as they pound rebel positions in the district.

Civilinas were taken &quot;by the army to safe areas&quot;, official media said, AFP reported.

Syrian state television broadcast images of a crowd gathered around green buses that it said had come to pick them up in Masaken Hanano, AFP said.

&quot;We are strengthening our positions to defend the city and residents, but the aircraft are destroying everything methodically, area by area,&quot; Yasser al-Youssef, from the rebel group Nureddin al-Zinki, said of a regime campaign of air strikes, AFP reported.

The Syrian army had advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling.

Eight civilians were killed during regime shelling and air strikes in eastern Aleppo on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The regime bombardment has killed 225 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo since November 15.

More than 250,000 civilians have been trapped under siege for months in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food and fuel supplies.

(With inputs from AFP)

Their wins included Masaken Hanano, the largest rebel-held district in eastern Aleppo

Syrian regime forces took control of six rebel-held districts in eastern Aleppo over the weekend as they advanced their offensive to recapture Syria's second city. Their wins included Masaken Hanano, the largest rebel-held district in eastern Aleppo. Syrian forces also took control of Jabal Badra and Baadeeen and took three other districts on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The monitor said that Inzarat, Al-Sakan al-Shaabi and Ain al-Tall have been taken over by government forces and the army has made large forays into Sakhur and nearby Haidariya. It said government forces are "in control of most of the northern part" of Aleppo. The Observatory also reported that more than 4,000 civilians had fled east Aleppo overnight Saturday "The rebels have lost at least 30 per cent of the territory they once controlled in Aleppo," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said, news agency AFP reported. "It is the first exodus of this kind from east Aleppo since 2012." Masaken Hanano was the first district to be taken by the rebels in 2012. The regime has focussed its attention on the Sakhur as they pound rebel positions in the district. Civilinas were taken "by the army to safe areas", official media said, AFP reported. Syrian state television broadcast images of a crowd gathered around green buses that it said had come to pick them up in Masaken Hanano, AFP said. "We are strengthening our positions to defend the city and residents, but the aircraft are destroying everything methodically, area by area," Yasser al-Youssef, from the rebel group Nureddin al-Zinki, said of a regime campaign of air strikes, AFP reported. The Syrian army had advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling. Eight civilians were killed during regime shelling and air strikes in eastern Aleppo on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The regime bombardment has killed 225 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo since November 15. More than 250,000 civilians have been trapped under siege for months in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food and fuel supplies. (With inputs from AFP)

Syria forces retake 6 Aleppo rebel areas, civilians flee

Syrian state media reported on Saturday that the Syrian government forces have recaptured the largest rebel district in the east of battlefield city Aleppo.

State television said &quot;the armed forces retook full control&quot; of Masaken Hanano district. Operations were under way to clear it of mines and bombs, official news agency SANA said, AFP reported.

&quot;The armed forces retook full control of Masaken Hanano after having put an end to the presence of terrorists there,&quot; the state broadcaster said, referring to the rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, reported AFP.

The area around the district was also recaptured and &quot;army engineers are clearing it of bombs and explosives planted by the terrorists in the streets and squares&quot;, SANA reported.

The capture of Masaken Hanano in the northeast of Aleppo could give the army line-of-fire control over several other parts of the city&#39;s rebel-held east, AFP said.

The Syrian army had advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling.

The offensive to retake Aleppo, Syria&#39;s second city, is in its 12th day. The city was the economic capital before the war broke out in March 2011.

The regime bombardment has killed 212 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo since November 15, a monitoring group said.

Eight civilians were killed during regime shelling and air strikes in eastern Aleppo on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

&quot;I&#39;m terrified by the army&#39;s advance and the increasing bombardment,&quot; Abu Raed, a father-of-four from the Fardos neighbourhood, told AFP. &quot;There&#39;s no safe place for me and my family.&quot;

Observatory head rami Abdel Rahman told AFP on Saturday that the government forces were in control of 80 per cent of Masaken Hanano and had the rest in their line of fire.

&quot;They just hundreds of metres (yards) away from isolating the northern districts of east Aleppo from the southern ones,&quot; he said.

More than 250,000 civilians have been trapped under siege for months in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food and fuel supplies, AFP said.

(With inputs from AFP)

The capture of Masaken Hanano district could give the army line-of-fire control over several other parts of the city's rebel-held east

Syrian state media reported on Saturday that the Syrian government forces have recaptured the largest rebel district in the east of battlefield city Aleppo. State television said "the armed forces retook full control" of Masaken Hanano district. Operations were under way to clear it of mines and bombs, official news agency SANA said, AFP reported. "The armed forces retook full control of Masaken Hanano after having put an end to the presence of terrorists there," the state broadcaster said, referring to the rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, reported AFP. The area around the district was also recaptured and "army engineers are clearing it of bombs and explosives planted by the terrorists in the streets and squares", SANA reported. The capture of Masaken Hanano in the northeast of Aleppo could give the army line-of-fire control over several other parts of the city's rebel-held east, AFP said. The Syrian army had advanced in Aleppo on Friday, pounding rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods with air strikes and shelling. The offensive to retake Aleppo, Syria's second city, is in its 12th day. The city was the economic capital before the war broke out in March 2011. The regime bombardment has killed 212 civilians, including at least 27 children, in east Aleppo since November 15, a monitoring group said. Eight civilians were killed during regime shelling and air strikes in eastern Aleppo on Friday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "I'm terrified by the army's advance and the increasing bombardment," Abu Raed, a father-of-four from the Fardos neighbourhood, told AFP. "There's no safe place for me and my family." Observatory head rami Abdel Rahman told AFP on Saturday that the government forces were in control of 80 per cent of Masaken Hanano and had the rest in their line of fire. "They just hundreds of metres (yards) away from isolating the northern districts of east Aleppo from the southern ones," he said. More than 250,000 civilians have been trapped under siege for months in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food and fuel supplies, AFP said. (With inputs from AFP)

Largest Aleppo rebel area retaken: Syrian state media

The Russian defence ministry said on Saturday it would need the UN&nbsp;mission in Syria to formally confirm its ability to deliver aid to eastern Aleppo before Moscow agreed to any new humanitarian pauses in fighting in the shattered Syrian city.

Moscow says previous temporary ceasefires on the ground, called to allow aid deliveries and the evacuation of the wounded and civilians, have come to nothing because rebels have opened fire on anyone trying to come in or out.

Rebels contest that and say it is the Syrian army and its allies who have sabotaged the humanitarian pauses.

&quot;The Russian Defence Ministry will be ready to consider introducing new &#39;humanitarian pauses&#39; at any time as soon as representatives of the UN&nbsp;mission in Syria officially confirm their readiness and possibility to deliver humanitarian aid to eastern Aleppo and to evacuate wounded and sick civilians,&quot; Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

The occasional humanitarian pauses on the ground are distinct from a unilateral moratorium on Russian air strikes on rebel targets inside Aleppo, which remains in place for now.

(Reuters)

Moscow says previous temporary ceasefires on the ground have failed because rebels opened fire on anyone trying to come in or out

The Russian defence ministry said on Saturday it would need the UN mission in Syria to formally confirm its ability to deliver aid to eastern Aleppo before Moscow agreed to any new humanitarian pauses in fighting in the shattered Syrian city. Moscow says previous temporary ceasefires on the ground, called to allow aid deliveries and the evacuation of the wounded and civilians, have come to nothing because rebels have opened fire on anyone trying to come in or out. Rebels contest that and say it is the Syrian army and its allies who have sabotaged the humanitarian pauses. "The Russian Defence Ministry will be ready to consider introducing new 'humanitarian pauses' at any time as soon as representatives of the UN mission in Syria officially confirm their readiness and possibility to deliver humanitarian aid to eastern Aleppo and to evacuate wounded and sick civilians," Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. The occasional humanitarian pauses on the ground are distinct from a unilateral moratorium on Russian air strikes on rebel targets inside Aleppo, which remains in place for now. (Reuters)

Aleppo ceasefire: Russia asks UN for aid guarantee before new pauses

The Syrian army said it had taken a strategic district of Aleppo on Tuesday in what would mark the most important advance in the divided city by Damascus and its allies in weeks, but rebels said the battle was not over.

The 1070 Apartments district is located on the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo and lies alongside the government&#39;s corridor into the parts of the city that it controls.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war, said government forces and their allies had seized full control of 1070 Apartments, calling it the most significant gain by the government in Aleppo since September.

A Syrian military source said the army and allied forces were in complete control of the area and surrounding hills. They have made repeated efforts to oust rebels from the 1070 Apartments area since the summer.

A military media unit run by the Damascus-allied Hezbollah carried a similar report. Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shi&#39;ite Muslim group, is fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria&#39;s war, now well in its sixth year.

But officials in two rebel groups fighting in Aleppo - Syria&#39;s largest city and commercial hub before the war - said insurgent forces were still trying to fight back.

&quot;The clashes around 1070 Apartments are still going on,&quot; Zakaria Malahifji, head of the political office of the Fastaqim rebel group, said, while confirming that the army had taken the district.

Yasser Alyousef from the political office of the Nour al-Din al-Zinki rebel group said rebels had recovered positions they had lost on Monday.

Syrian government forces backed by allied militias and Russian air power launched a major assault on rebel-held eastern Aleppo in September after besieging the area, which the United Nations says is home to 275,000 people.

On Oct. 29, rebels counter-attacked in a bid to break the siege, targeting government-held western districts of Aleppo in an offensive that included Islamist militants and rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner.

But their progress slowed after early gains.

There were conflicting accounts of fighting on Tuesday in the village of Minian, also on the western edge of Aleppo.

Syrian state media said the army had advanced in Minian, which was taken by rebels at the start of their campaign.

The Observatory said the army and its allies had fully recaptured Minian, after heavy air strikes. The fall of Minian to the government would reverse some of the gains rebels have made during their offensive.

But Malahifji, of the Fastaqim rebel group, denied that there were any clashes inside the village. &quot;Minian is still with the rebels,&quot; he said.

Russia says its air force has been observing a moratorium on air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo since Oct. 18. The Observatory and emergency workers in eastern Aleppo said heavy air strikes had killed hundreds of people, and hit hospitals and other civilian facilities prior to that.

Russia is preparing to resume air strikes around Aleppo &quot;in coming hours&quot;, the Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Russian Defence Ministry as saying on Tuesday.

Rebel shelling of government-held western Aleppo has meanwhile killed dozens of people, the United Nations said last week in an update on the humanitarian situation in the city.

(Reuters)

The government forces and their allies have reportedly seized 1070 Apartments, the most significant gain since last September

The Syrian army said it had taken a strategic district of Aleppo on Tuesday in what would mark the most important advance in the divided city by Damascus and its allies in weeks, but rebels said the battle was not over. The 1070 Apartments district is located on the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo and lies alongside the government's corridor into the parts of the city that it controls. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war, said government forces and their allies had seized full control of 1070 Apartments, calling it the most significant gain by the government in Aleppo since September. A Syrian military source said the army and allied forces were in complete control of the area and surrounding hills. They have made repeated efforts to oust rebels from the 1070 Apartments area since the summer. A military media unit run by the Damascus-allied Hezbollah carried a similar report. Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group, is fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's war, now well in its sixth year. But officials in two rebel groups fighting in Aleppo - Syria's largest city and commercial hub before the war - said insurgent forces were still trying to fight back. "The clashes around 1070 Apartments are still going on," Zakaria Malahifji, head of the political office of the Fastaqim rebel group, said, while confirming that the army had taken the district. Yasser Alyousef from the political office of the Nour al-Din al-Zinki rebel group said rebels had recovered positions they had lost on Monday. Syrian government forces backed by allied militias and Russian air power launched a major assault on rebel-held eastern Aleppo in September after besieging the area, which the United Nations says is home to 275,000 people. On Oct. 29, rebels counter-attacked in a bid to break the siege, targeting government-held western districts of Aleppo in an offensive that included Islamist militants and rebels fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner. But their progress slowed after early gains. There were conflicting accounts of fighting on Tuesday in the village of Minian, also on the western edge of Aleppo. Syrian state media said the army had advanced in Minian, which was taken by rebels at the start of their campaign. The Observatory said the army and its allies had fully recaptured Minian, after heavy air strikes. The fall of Minian to the government would reverse some of the gains rebels have made during their offensive. But Malahifji, of the Fastaqim rebel group, denied that there were any clashes inside the village. "Minian is still with the rebels," he said. Russia says its air force has been observing a moratorium on air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo since Oct. 18. The Observatory and emergency workers in eastern Aleppo said heavy air strikes had killed hundreds of people, and hit hospitals and other civilian facilities prior to that. Russia is preparing to resume air strikes around Aleppo "in coming hours", the Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Russian Defence Ministry as saying on Tuesday. Rebel shelling of government-held western Aleppo has meanwhile killed dozens of people, the United Nations said last week in an update on the humanitarian situation in the city. (Reuters)

Syrian army retakes key Aleppo district as fighting rages on

Syrian rebels shelled government-controlled parts of Aleppo on Thursday in an attempt to break a siege of the eastern part of the city hours before the Russian-declared ceasefire was due to begin.

At least people were killed in rebel rocket and gunfire on regime-controlled neighbourhoods, state media said, news agency AFP reported.

Rebels have been unable to break a three-month siege through government lines in western Aleppo.

&quot;We have started the second phase in our fight to break the siege with heavy artillery fire&quot; on several neighbourhoods, rebel fighter Abu Hamza told AFP on the edges of Aleppo.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the &quot;most intense fighting&quot; was on the edges of Halab al-Jadida neighbourhood.

The United Nations on October 25 had blamed all sides in Syria after renewed fighting and air strikes in the Syrian city of Aleppo prevented the medical evacuations and aid deliveries from reaching the war-ravaged city.&nbsp;

UN aid agencies had held days of negotiations to try to secure safe passage for the sick and wounded, but the effort came to a halt when fighting resumed after three days of truce.&nbsp;

Rebel fire killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 200, SANA news agency said. The Observatory said 15 had been killed, four of them children. A total of 69 civilians have been killed in rebel fire since Friday.

Russia on Wednesday told Syrian rebels in Aleppo to leave by Friday evening, indicating a moratorium on air strikes in the war-battered city.

The Russian defence ministry said that rebels would be allowed to exit the city unharmed and with their weapons on November 4 between 0900 and 1900 local time through two special corridors.

Rebels have,however, rejected the calls and denied there were corridors, a member of an Aleppo-based insurgent group told Reuters.

&quot;This is completely out of the question. We will not give up the city of Aleppo to the Russians and we won&#39;t surrender,&quot; Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group told Reuters.

No UN aid convoy has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, UN chief Ban Ki-moon had warned last month.

Once Syria&#39;s economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been divided since mid-2012 between government control in the west and rebels in the east, AFP said.

More than 300,000 have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in 2011 with anti-government protests that spiralled into a multi-front war involving regime, rebels, Kurds and jihadists like IS.

(With inputs from agencies)

Rebels have been battling for nearly a week in a desperate bid to break the three-month siege

Syrian rebels shelled government-controlled parts of Aleppo on Thursday in an attempt to break a siege of the eastern part of the city hours before the Russian-declared ceasefire was due to begin. At least people were killed in rebel rocket and gunfire on regime-controlled neighbourhoods, state media said, news agency AFP reported. Rebels have been unable to break a three-month siege through government lines in western Aleppo. "We have started the second phase in our fight to break the siege with heavy artillery fire" on several neighbourhoods, rebel fighter Abu Hamza told AFP on the edges of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the "most intense fighting" was on the edges of Halab al-Jadida neighbourhood. The United Nations on October 25 had blamed all sides in Syria after renewed fighting and air strikes in the Syrian city of Aleppo prevented the medical evacuations and aid deliveries from reaching the war-ravaged city. UN aid agencies had held days of negotiations to try to secure safe passage for the sick and wounded, but the effort came to a halt when fighting resumed after three days of truce. Rebel fire killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 200, SANA news agency said. The Observatory said 15 had been killed, four of them children. A total of 69 civilians have been killed in rebel fire since Friday. Russia on Wednesday told Syrian rebels in Aleppo to leave by Friday evening, indicating a moratorium on air strikes in the war-battered city. The Russian defence ministry said that rebels would be allowed to exit the city unharmed and with their weapons on November 4 between 0900 and 1900 local time through two special corridors. Rebels have,however, rejected the calls and denied there were corridors, a member of an Aleppo-based insurgent group told Reuters. "This is completely out of the question. We will not give up the city of Aleppo to the Russians and we won't surrender," Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group told Reuters. No UN aid convoy has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, UN chief Ban Ki-moon had warned last month. Once Syria's economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been divided since mid-2012 between government control in the west and rebels in the east, AFP said. More than 300,000 have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in 2011 with anti-government protests that spiralled into a multi-front war involving regime, rebels, Kurds and jihadists like IS. (With inputs from agencies)

Syria rebels renew Aleppo attack before Russia ceasefire

Russia on Wednesday told Syrian rebels in Aleppo to leave by Friday evening, indicating a moratorium on air strikes in the war-battered city.

 
The Russian defence ministry said that rebels would be allowed to exit the city unharmed and with their weapons on November 4 between 0900 and 1900 local time through two special corridors.

 
The ministry, which is helping forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, also said civilians and the wounded would be allowed to leave through six different corridors.&nbsp;

 
The Syrian army followed by releasing a similar statement later on Wednesday calling on rebels to hold fire and &ldquo;use this opportunity&rdquo; to leave the city with their &ldquo;small arms&rdquo;, AFP reported.&nbsp;

 
Rebels have,however, rejected the calls and denied there were corridors, a member of an Aleppo-based insurgent group told Reuters.

 
&quot;This is completely out of the question. We will not give up the city of Aleppo to the Russians and we won&#39;t surrender,&quot; Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group told Reuters.

 
The Russian Defence Ministry added &nbsp;that rebels inside Aleppo had taken heavy losses during the&nbsp;fighting and were effectively trapped.

 
&quot;All attempts by the rebels to break through in Aleppo have failed,&quot; the ministry said. &quot;The terrorists have suffered heavy losses in lives, weapons and equipment. They have no chance to break out of the city,&quot;&nbsp;news agencies reported.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Russia says rebels will be allowed to leave unharmed and with their weapons

Russia on Wednesday told Syrian rebels in Aleppo to leave by Friday evening, indicating a moratorium on air strikes in the war-battered city. The Russian defence ministry said that rebels would be allowed to exit the city unharmed and with their weapons on November 4 between 0900 and 1900 local time through two special corridors. The ministry, which is helping forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, also said civilians and the wounded would be allowed to leave through six different corridors. The Syrian army followed by releasing a similar statement later on Wednesday calling on rebels to hold fire and “use this opportunity” to leave the city with their “small arms”, AFP reported. Rebels have,however, rejected the calls and denied there were corridors, a member of an Aleppo-based insurgent group told Reuters. "This is completely out of the question. We will not give up the city of Aleppo to the Russians and we won't surrender," Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group told Reuters. The Russian Defence Ministry added that rebels inside Aleppo had taken heavy losses during the fighting and were effectively trapped. "All attempts by the rebels to break through in Aleppo have failed," the ministry said. "The terrorists have suffered heavy losses in lives, weapons and equipment. They have no chance to break out of the city," news agencies reported. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Syria: Russia tells rebels to leave Aleppo by Friday, rebels say no

An inquiry by the United Nations and a global chemical weapons watchdog has said&nbsp;Syrian government forces were responsible for a third toxic gas attack -- Syria has&nbsp;already been held responsible for two earlier attacks --&nbsp;in the country.&nbsp;

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) presented the report to the UN Security Council on Friday; the report&nbsp;said the Syrian army had attacked the village of Qmenas with chemical weapons in March 2015.&nbsp;

Syrian forces had used helicopters to drop barrel bombs&nbsp;which released chlorine gas, the report said. The report added the helicopters were from the 63rd brigade but&nbsp;it &quot;could not confirm the names of the individuals who took command&quot; of the operation.&nbsp;

A&nbsp;previous report had blamed President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government for two earlier chlorine gas attacks, one in Hama province on April 21, 2014 and the other in Idlib province on March 16, 2015.&nbsp;

Chlorine gas, a highly deadly hydrochloric acid, is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013. Syria had agreed to destroy its chemical weapons under the deal brokered by Moscow and Washington. The UN Security Council had backed the deal.&nbsp;

With the report&#39;s investigators demanding those &quot;with effective control in the military...&nbsp;be held accountable&quot;, the latest report has set the stage for a showdown between the five UNSC powers.

Syria&#39;s major ally, Russia, has&nbsp;said the conclusions cannot be used to impose UN sanctions.&nbsp;

The 13-month long inquiry focused on nine chemical weapons attacks in seven areas of Syria, but the inquiry was unable to reach a conclusion in five cases. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

President Bashar al-Assad's forces have already been held responsible for two earlier chemical weapons attacks

An inquiry by the United Nations and a global chemical weapons watchdog has said Syrian government forces were responsible for a third toxic gas attack -- Syria has already been held responsible for two earlier attacks -- in the country. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) presented the report to the UN Security Council on Friday; the report said the Syrian army had attacked the village of Qmenas with chemical weapons in March 2015. Syrian forces had used helicopters to drop barrel bombs which released chlorine gas, the report said. The report added the helicopters were from the 63rd brigade but it "could not confirm the names of the individuals who took command" of the operation. A previous report had blamed President Bashar al-Assad's government for two earlier chlorine gas attacks, one in Hama province on April 21, 2014 and the other in Idlib province on March 16, 2015. Chlorine gas, a highly deadly hydrochloric acid, is prohibited under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013. Syria had agreed to destroy its chemical weapons under the deal brokered by Moscow and Washington. The UN Security Council had backed the deal. With the report's investigators demanding those "with effective control in the military... be held accountable", the latest report has set the stage for a showdown between the five UNSC powers. Syria's major ally, Russia, has said the conclusions cannot be used to impose UN sanctions. The 13-month long inquiry focused on nine chemical weapons attacks in seven areas of Syria, but the inquiry was unable to reach a conclusion in five cases. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Syrian government forces blamed for third chlorine gas attack on civilians

Hundreds of wounded civilians were stranded in rebel-held areas of Syria&#39;s Aleppo on Saturday after the UN said security concerns had prevented evacuation convoys even as Russia extended a ceasefire into a third day.

The unilateral &quot;humanitarian pause&quot; in the Syrian army&#39;s devastating Russian-backed assault on the opposition-controlled east of the city has largely held since it began on Thursday morning.

The army has said it is an opportunity for civilians and rebel fighters who lay down their arms to leave.

But so far there have been no organised evacuation convoys and only a handful of the 250,000 civilians still living in the rebel sector have left under their own steam.

An AFP photographer in the Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood at one of the crossings over the front line the army has set up for evacuations said it was deserted on Saturday morning.

After three months of siege by the army and nearly four weeks of relentless air strikes by Syrian and Russian warplanes, trust in government assurances of safe passage is minimal.

On Friday, the UN human rights council called for a special investigation into the violence in Aleppo in a resolution fiercely critical of Damascus.

The United Nations had hoped to use the ceasefire to evacuate seriously wounded people, and possibly deliver aid.

More than 2,000 civilians have been wounded since the army launched its offensive to drive the rebels out of the eastern districts they have held since 2012. Nearly 500 people have been killed.

But on Friday, a UN spokesman said evacuations had been delayed because of security concerns.

&quot;Medical evacuations of sick and injured could unfortunately not begin this morning as planned because the necessary conditions were not in place,&quot; said Jens Laerke of the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA).

Four-day plan

In the face of a mounting international outcry over Aleppo&#39;s plight, Moscow announced that the ceasefire, which was originally scheduled to last just eight hours, would be extended until 1600 GMT on Saturday.

But Laerke said that was not long enough and the United Nations has asked Russia to consider a further extension until Monday evening.

David Swanson, an OCHA spokesman in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, said a four-day plan had been drawn up to begin with two days of evacuations to government-held areas of Aleppo, rebel-held Idlib province to the west or over the border to Turkey.

If successful, the plan would then see aid delivered for another two days alongside continuing evacuations.

No aid has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday.

The Syrian opposition has accused the world body of playing into the hands of Damascus and Moscow by focusing on evacuations rather providing relief supplies to allow residents to stay.

Moscow has accused jihadists among the rebels of forcibly preventing civilians from leaving.&nbsp;

It has warned that if fighters of former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Shams Front do not leave the city, the offensive will resume.

Fears of worse bloodshed

Senior military official Sergei Rudskoi acknowledged that on the first day of the truce just seven civilians and eight wounded fighters had left.

He said the jihadists were &quot;doing everything to prevent the exit of civilians and members of armed groups from east Aleppo.&quot;

&quot;The terrorists are using the ceasefire in their interests,&quot; he said.

&quot;We are seeing them massing around Aleppo and preparing for another breakthrough into the city&#39;s western neighbourhoods.&quot;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warned that if the ceasefire broke down, there was the risk of even greater bloodshed.

&quot;The regime and the rebels are both bolstering their forces, which raises fears of a massive military operation if the ceasefire fails,&quot; its director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

The UN human rights council called in its resolution on Friday for &quot;a comprehensive, independent special inquiry into the events in Aleppo&quot;, and for those responsible for the most serious violations to be identified.

The resolution demanded that warring parties &quot;in particular the Syrian authorities and their allies&quot;, allow unrestricted humanitarian access to desperate civilians and &quot;end immediately all bombardments and military flights over Aleppo city&quot;.

(AFP)

The 'humanitarian pause' in the assault has largely held since Thursday morning but there has been no organised evacuation

Hundreds of wounded civilians were stranded in rebel-held areas of Syria's Aleppo on Saturday after the UN said security concerns had prevented evacuation convoys even as Russia extended a ceasefire into a third day. The unilateral "humanitarian pause" in the Syrian army's devastating Russian-backed assault on the opposition-controlled east of the city has largely held since it began on Thursday morning. The army has said it is an opportunity for civilians and rebel fighters who lay down their arms to leave. But so far there have been no organised evacuation convoys and only a handful of the 250,000 civilians still living in the rebel sector have left under their own steam. An AFP photographer in the Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood at one of the crossings over the front line the army has set up for evacuations said it was deserted on Saturday morning. After three months of siege by the army and nearly four weeks of relentless air strikes by Syrian and Russian warplanes, trust in government assurances of safe passage is minimal. On Friday, the UN human rights council called for a special investigation into the violence in Aleppo in a resolution fiercely critical of Damascus. The United Nations had hoped to use the ceasefire to evacuate seriously wounded people, and possibly deliver aid. More than 2,000 civilians have been wounded since the army launched its offensive to drive the rebels out of the eastern districts they have held since 2012. Nearly 500 people have been killed. But on Friday, a UN spokesman said evacuations had been delayed because of security concerns. "Medical evacuations of sick and injured could unfortunately not begin this morning as planned because the necessary conditions were not in place," said Jens Laerke of the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA). Four-day plan In the face of a mounting international outcry over Aleppo's plight, Moscow announced that the ceasefire, which was originally scheduled to last just eight hours, would be extended until 1600 GMT on Saturday. But Laerke said that was not long enough and the United Nations has asked Russia to consider a further extension until Monday evening. David Swanson, an OCHA spokesman in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, said a four-day plan had been drawn up to begin with two days of evacuations to government-held areas of Aleppo, rebel-held Idlib province to the west or over the border to Turkey. If successful, the plan would then see aid delivered for another two days alongside continuing evacuations. No aid has entered Aleppo since July 7 and food rations will run out by the end of October, UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday. The Syrian opposition has accused the world body of playing into the hands of Damascus and Moscow by focusing on evacuations rather providing relief supplies to allow residents to stay. Moscow has accused jihadists among the rebels of forcibly preventing civilians from leaving. It has warned that if fighters of former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Shams Front do not leave the city, the offensive will resume. Fears of worse bloodshed Senior military official Sergei Rudskoi acknowledged that on the first day of the truce just seven civilians and eight wounded fighters had left. He said the jihadists were "doing everything to prevent the exit of civilians and members of armed groups from east Aleppo." "The terrorists are using the ceasefire in their interests," he said. "We are seeing them massing around Aleppo and preparing for another breakthrough into the city's western neighbourhoods." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warned that if the ceasefire broke down, there was the risk of even greater bloodshed. "The regime and the rebels are both bolstering their forces, which raises fears of a massive military operation if the ceasefire fails," its director Rami Abdel Rahman said. The UN human rights council called in its resolution on Friday for "a comprehensive, independent special inquiry into the events in Aleppo", and for those responsible for the most serious violations to be identified. The resolution demanded that warring parties "in particular the Syrian authorities and their allies", allow unrestricted humanitarian access to desperate civilians and "end immediately all bombardments and military flights over Aleppo city". (AFP)

Aleppo truce: Wounded await evacuation on day three

The Syrian cease-fire appears near collapse after scores of Syrian soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were killed in a United States-led coalition air strike on Saturday. 
 
One of the key tenets of the Syrian &quot;cessation of hostilities&quot; brokered by Washington and Moscow was to freeze all attacks on forces allied to either camps. 
 
But the latest air strike, which killed at least 62 soldiers of the Syrian regime at&nbsp;Jebel Tharda near Deir al-Zor airport, has jeopardised the truce signed by the US and Russia.&nbsp; 
 
Moscow called for an emergency UN security meeting with the US but that ended abruptly. 
 
While Washington dubbed Moscow&#39;s request for the meeting as a &quot;stunt&quot;, Russia said the US was violating the peace agreements.&nbsp; 
 
The US, however, has apologised for the Saturday strike, saying they had intended to attack &quot;Daesh (IS) fighting position&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
The Pentagon said coalition forces &quot;would not intentionally strike a known Syrian military unit&quot;. 
 
But the latest development has got Moscow &quot;deeply worried&quot; about the continuation of the peace deal signed earlier this week.&nbsp; 
 
The Syria cease-fire was signed by US and Russia on September 12, halting months of deadly violence in Syria.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The actions of the pilots &mdash;&nbsp;if they, as we hope, were not taken on orders from Washington &mdash;&nbsp;fall between criminal negligence and direct pandering to IS terrorists,&quot; a statement from the Russian foreign ministry said, AFP reported. 
 
Russia is also worried about US&#39; inability to get all factions of Syrian rebels give their full backing to the cease-fire.&nbsp; 
 
The US-allied Syrian rebels have agreed to &quot;cooperate positively&quot; to the peace deal but they have voiced their concerns about its long-term efficacy.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, government forces which are supported by Russia have launched a fresh offensive against Islamic State in the key airbase of Deir Ezzor, AFP quoted unnamed military sources as saying. 
 
The Syrian government said the offensive was necessary as the truce has given IS time to recover and plan its next strikes. 
 
The airbase is crucial as IS is using it to bomb Syrian army aircraft. On Sunday, IS claimed to have struck a Syrian plane close to Deir Ezzor, killing one pilot.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

Washington's 'unintentional' bombing of a Syrian army position has got Moscow 'deeply worried' about the efficacy of the peace deal

The Syrian cease-fire appears near collapse after scores of Syrian soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were killed in a United States-led coalition air strike on Saturday. One of the key tenets of the Syrian "cessation of hostilities" brokered by Washington and Moscow was to freeze all attacks on forces allied to either camps. But the latest air strike, which killed at least 62 soldiers of the Syrian regime at Jebel Tharda near Deir al-Zor airport, has jeopardised the truce signed by the US and Russia. Moscow called for an emergency UN security meeting with the US but that ended abruptly. While Washington dubbed Moscow's request for the meeting as a "stunt", Russia said the US was violating the peace agreements. The US, however, has apologised for the Saturday strike, saying they had intended to attack "Daesh (IS) fighting position". The Pentagon said coalition forces "would not intentionally strike a known Syrian military unit". But the latest development has got Moscow "deeply worried" about the continuation of the peace deal signed earlier this week. The Syria cease-fire was signed by US and Russia on September 12, halting months of deadly violence in Syria. "The actions of the pilots — if they, as we hope, were not taken on orders from Washington — fall between criminal negligence and direct pandering to IS terrorists," a statement from the Russian foreign ministry said, AFP reported. Russia is also worried about US' inability to get all factions of Syrian rebels give their full backing to the cease-fire. The US-allied Syrian rebels have agreed to "cooperate positively" to the peace deal but they have voiced their concerns about its long-term efficacy. Meanwhile, government forces which are supported by Russia have launched a fresh offensive against Islamic State in the key airbase of Deir Ezzor, AFP quoted unnamed military sources as saying. The Syrian government said the offensive was necessary as the truce has given IS time to recover and plan its next strikes. The airbase is crucial as IS is using it to bomb Syrian army aircraft. On Sunday, IS claimed to have struck a Syrian plane close to Deir Ezzor, killing one pilot. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Syria truce frays after US-led air strike kills soldiers

Syrian government troops backed by Russian air power moved to within 25 km (15 miles) of an Islamic State-held town in Raqqa province today, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, as state media reported air strikes against the jihadists in the area.

In a separate simultaneous campaign against the Islamic State in Syria, US-backed militias captured more territory from the group near the city of Manbij in Aleppo province, said a spokesman for the forces. The Observatory said they were now two&nbsp;km from the Islamic State-held city.

The offensives both got underway last week and are targeting the Islamic State in areas of major strategic importance to its foothold in Syria, where it controls swathes of land up to the Iraqi border.

They are taking place at the same time as an assault by the Iraqi army against Falluja, an Islamic State bastion close to Baghdad. The simultaneous assaults by a myriad of enemies on farflung fronts amount to some of the greatest pressure Islamic State has faced since declaring its caliphate to rule over all Muslims from Iraq and Syria two years ago.

The Syrian army&#39;s advance into Raqqa province, which has not been announced by the military, is initially targeting the Islamic State-held town of Tabqa, according to the Observatory and pro-Damascus media sources.

Raqqa province is a major base of operations for Islamic State and home to its de facto capital, Raqqa city.

Syrian state-run TV station Ikhbariya said&nbsp;that the Syrian air force had targeted Islamic State positions south of Tabqa in the Rasafa area, destroying vehicles equipped with machine guns.

The Syrian military could not immediately be reached for comment. A military source said that&nbsp;on Monday the army had advanced to the edge of Raqqa province, from where it could&nbsp;move&nbsp;in several directions against the Islamic State.

The Observatory, citing its activists on the ground, said the Islamic State had sent weapons and fighters from Raqqa city to Tabqa.

The separate US-backed campaign that got underway last week aims to dislodge the Islamic State from its last foothold at the Syrian-Turkish frontier and shut off its main access route to the outside world for material and manpower.

It is being fought on the ground by militias including the Kurdish YPG and allied Arab groups, which together formed an alliance last year known as the Syria Democratic Forces. It has proven to be the first effective fighting force allied to Washington during five years of multi-sided civil war in Syria.

Sharfan Darwish, spokesman for the Manbij Military Council that is part of the US-backed force, said: &quot;We are advancing on all fronts of our assault.&quot;

The United States has consistently rejected the idea of partnering in the fight against the Islamic State with President Bashar al-Assad, saying he should leave power. Some of Assad&#39;s opponents have accused the Kurdish YPG of coordinating with his government&#39;s forces, which the Kurds deny.

The Syrian army's advance into Raqqa province is initially targeting the Islamic State-held town of Tabqa

Syrian government troops backed by Russian air power moved to within 25 km (15 miles) of an Islamic State-held town in Raqqa province today, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, as state media reported air strikes against the jihadists in the area. In a separate simultaneous campaign against the Islamic State in Syria, US-backed militias captured more territory from the group near the city of Manbij in Aleppo province, said a spokesman for the forces. The Observatory said they were now two km from the Islamic State-held city. The offensives both got underway last week and are targeting the Islamic State in areas of major strategic importance to its foothold in Syria, where it controls swathes of land up to the Iraqi border. They are taking place at the same time as an assault by the Iraqi army against Falluja, an Islamic State bastion close to Baghdad. The simultaneous assaults by a myriad of enemies on farflung fronts amount to some of the greatest pressure Islamic State has faced since declaring its caliphate to rule over all Muslims from Iraq and Syria two years ago. The Syrian army's advance into Raqqa province, which has not been announced by the military, is initially targeting the Islamic State-held town of Tabqa, according to the Observatory and pro-Damascus media sources. Raqqa province is a major base of operations for Islamic State and home to its de facto capital, Raqqa city. Syrian state-run TV station Ikhbariya said that the Syrian air force had targeted Islamic State positions south of Tabqa in the Rasafa area, destroying vehicles equipped with machine guns. The Syrian military could not immediately be reached for comment. A military source said that on Monday the army had advanced to the edge of Raqqa province, from where it could move in several directions against the Islamic State. The Observatory, citing its activists on the ground, said the Islamic State had sent weapons and fighters from Raqqa city to Tabqa. The separate US-backed campaign that got underway last week aims to dislodge the Islamic State from its last foothold at the Syrian-Turkish frontier and shut off its main access route to the outside world for material and manpower. It is being fought on the ground by militias including the Kurdish YPG and allied Arab groups, which together formed an alliance last year known as the Syria Democratic Forces. It has proven to be the first effective fighting force allied to Washington during five years of multi-sided civil war in Syria. Sharfan Darwish, spokesman for the Manbij Military Council that is part of the US-backed force, said: "We are advancing on all fronts of our assault." The United States has consistently rejected the idea of partnering in the fight against the Islamic State with President Bashar al-Assad, saying he should leave power. Some of Assad's opponents have accused the Kurdish YPG of coordinating with his government's forces, which the Kurds deny.

Syrian army, US-backed forces advance separately against IS

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