The goal is to “demilitarise” Castello Road, north of the city, the main route used to supply the rebel-held eastern part of the city.
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The Syrian government said earlier on Tuesday it would reject any aid deliveries to Aleppo that are not coordinated through itself and the United Nations, particularly aid from Turkey.
“There will be undoubtedly be reports of violations here and there and that’s the nature of ceasefires”, he said.
The cease-fire deal hammered out between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva last week allows the Syrian government to continue to strike at the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked militants, until the U.S. and Russia take over the task in one week’s time.
If all goes well, after seven days of reduced violence and increased humanitarian aid access, plans call for the US and Russian Federation to work together to defeat the Islamic State and Nusra.
On the ground in Syria, residents hoped for the best.
In June, activists said the Syrian regime pounded the area with barrel bombs just hours after food was delivered to the besieged suburb for the first time in almost four years.
These types of violations are not uncommon, and it’s not necessarily a measure of success in a ceasefire since brief respites in violence can help get humanitarian aid to those who desperately need it.
Opposition sources quoted by Reuters said a forthcoming statement supporting the cessation “with harsh reservations” would be backed by “the largest groups”, including Ahrar al-Sham. It went into effect on Monday at sunset and since that time a number of violations have been reported, including more barrel-bombing of Aleppo by helicopters belonging to the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad.
The aid is to alleviate human suffering that has been taking place for over five years since the start of a civil war in Syria.
But he voiced scepticism about whether the truce would last beyond the initial 48-hour ceasefire, which is to be extended if it holds.
U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura was monitoring the ceasefire very closely, a spokeswoman said, but she declined to comment on how it was being observed so far. A truce in late February collapsed just days later.
Rebel factions, for their part, have expressed deep reservations about the deal.
Jabhat Fatah al-Sham is the successor to the al-Nusra Front that was associated with Al Qaida.
Along with Assad’s government, his key allies-Russia, Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah-have also endorsed the deal.
Assad spoke during a rare public appearance that included attending prayers for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in the Damascus suburb of Daraya, where rebels surrendered last month after a four-year siege.
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“The armed forces are continuing their work, relentlessly and without hesitation, regardless of internal or external circumstances”, he said as he toured a former rebel stronghold near Damascus.
