Insurgents say they only reluctantly accepted the initial deal, which they believe is skewed against them, because it could relieve the dire humanitarian situation in besieged areas they control, and blamed Russian Federation for undermining the truce.
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The US and Russia said that the recently negotiated ceasefire regime in Syria is still holding despite numerous violations by various militant groups, and agreed to extend it for a further three days, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
Meanwhile, the Assad regime claims that it had withdrawn from routes as per the ceasefire agreement, but had redeployed following what it claimed was rebel attacks.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, estimates that up to 430,000 people have been killed in the conflict, although an accurate estimate is nearly impossible to obtain.
Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, said Tuesday night that there was a “need of assurances that the drivers and the convoys will be unhindered and untouched”.
Speaking in Geneva, de Mistura blamed Assad’s government for the delay.
Aid deliveries are part of a US-Russia deal that imposed the ceasefire.
Kerry called the delays in assistance to Aleppo “repeated” and “unacceptable” and said Russian Federation must press Syrian President Bashar Assad to allow deliveries.
“There are wounded people and others who need food”, Mr al-Halaby said.
“It is particularly regrettable”. Commenting from Kyrgyzstan, Putin said the United States had been unable to split the moderates from the “semi-criminal” rebels.
“Even yesterday it targeted the area surrounding the Castello”, the official told Reuters.
De Mistura, the United Nations envoy, noted a “significant drop in violence” since the ceasefire went into effect Monday. It says two men were killed outside Damascus and a child was killed in Aleppo province.
Russia’s military announced Thursday evening that Syrian government forces had begun withdrawing from Castello road but did not confirm if Russian troops would be stationed there. The withdrawals will make way for the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to establish checkpoints on the road and direct aid convoys in.
The United States said it wanted to see definitive progress before the next stages of the ceasefire take effect.
Russian Federation said Friday that only Moscow and the Syrian regime were fulfilling a truce deal.
And pro-government civilians in villages north or Aleppo also staged a demonstration calling for aid deliveries to rebel-held areas to be blocked until a rebel sieges are lifted from other loyalist communities across Syria, especially the towns of Fua and Kafarya, in Idlib Province, according to a report by NOW News of Lebanon. It has reduced the fighting since coming into effect on Monday.
“The regime is refusing to allow aid into Aleppo”, said an activist based in the city, Baraa al-Halaby.
Government forces and rebels were engaged in fierce fighting near the capital Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
This new development coincided with sources describing the fourth day of the Syrian ceasefire as being the “worst”, in the presence of several military violations in many Syrian areas. SANA said the shelling violates the cease-fire.
The Pentagon also said on Friday that dozens of US Special Operations Forces have been deployed to Syria’s border with Turkey to fight ISIL, at Ankara’s request, in support of Turkey’s army and “vetted” Syrian rebels.
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There were still intermittent incidents, including an airstrike overnight on Khan Toman in the countryside south of Aleppo, according to an Aleppo Media Center activist.
