In the first known video statement ever to show his face, the leader of the Nusra Front, Mohamad al-Golani, announced that the group would re-form under a new name, with “no ties with any foreign party”. In his message, Golani thanked Zawahri for putting the interests of Syrians ahead of organizational concerns.
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But the United Nations has raised misgivings about the plan and USA officials have suggested it may be an attempt to depopulate the city – the most important opposition stronghold in the country – so the army can seize it.
Russia, an ally of the Syrian government, announced on Thursday that four exit corridors would be opened in Aleppo for civilians and rebels.
Some reports have said rebel groups are preventing civilians from leaving.
An estimated 320,000 people are under government siege in Aleppo, facing acute food and medicine shortages.
More than 150 people, mostly women and children, have left besieged parts of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo through a safety zone set up by the government, state media report. “169 civilians have left the neighbourhoods controlled by illegal armed groups through the exit points”, it added.
The United States is trying to determine whether a Russian plan for a humanitarian operation in Syria is honest, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday, adding that if it proves a “ruse” it could ruin cooperation between Moscow and Washington. As such, civilians trapped there should not be forced to leave, and if any do want to leave, the choice should be their own.
Earlier in the week, OBrien warned the Security Council that time is running out, and those with influence, must act now to establish a weekly, 48-hour humanitarian pause so much-needed assistance could be provided to the people trapped in Aleppo.
Syria’s President Bashar Assad has offered amnesty to opposition fighters who surrender within the next three months. Russian Federation said a fourth corridor would be set up in the north for surrendering rebels.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that “a number” of civilians had crossed into government territory during the evacuation on Saturday.
“Humanitarian corridors need to be well and carefully planned, and have to be implemented with the consent of parties on all sides”, Mardini said.
Aid agencies say civilians have been unable to leave through the safe corridors because of fighting, and that the situation inside the besieged city is becoming increasingly perilous.
Matthew Rycroft, the UK ambassador to the United Nations, insisted that the humanitarian proposal be accompanied by an end to the bombing campaign.
The proposed corridors did not appear to be open so far.
Meanwhile, aid agencies called yesterday on Syria’s government to end its encirclement of rebel-held east Aleppo as a handful of civilians managed to use humanitarian corridors to flee the ruined city.
On Saturday, regime war planes continued to hit opposition positions, with the Observatory reporting air strikes on two rebel-held areas on the outskirts of Aleppo.
Roughly 300,000 were effectively left besieged after the government closed the main road into rebel-held areas on July 17.
The bombings came a week after air strikes, also blamed by Syrian activists on US aircraft, killed at least 56 civilians in Islamic State-held territory in northern Syria.
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The Manbij area has seen extensive battles between Islamic State extremists and USA -backed Kurdish-led fighters, who have been advancing under the cover of air strikes by the US -led coalition.
