Share

Syria war: Russian Federation ‘could resume strikes’ on rebel groups

Russian Federation issued its criticism after the United Nations said Syria hadn’t provided the necessary permission for its aid convoy to go to rebel-held eastern Aleppo, where 300,000 civilians are trapped.

Advertisement

De Mistura discussed the “problem” of getting aid into Syria He said that the Syrian government had not provided “facilitation letters” meaning the trucks were stuck at the border.

Aid for Aleppo, however, has been stuck on the Turkish border for five days now, with the United Nations calling on the Syrian government to “immediately” allow life-saving supplies into the city’s rebel-held areas, where about 300,000 people are living under siege.

Under the ceasefire, the USA and Russian Federation said they would set up a “Joint Implementation Centre” to share targeting information for airstrikes in Syria if the truce that took effect on Monday holds for one week. “It is particularly regrettable”.

A ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States and Russian Federation has brought relative peace and quiet to many areas in Syria, including places like Aleppo that have seen fighting for months on end.

A main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, said it rejects the presence of a “Russian occupation” force on the road and that United Nations peacekeepers should run the operation.

“Our appeal is the following — it’s a simple one”, Egeland said. “Can well-fed, grown men please stop putting political, bureaucratic and procedural roadblocks for courageous humanitarian workers who are willing and able to go to serve women, children, wounded civilians in besieged and crossfire areas?”

Russian Federation has accused the U.S. of failing to uphold its end of the Syria ceasefire agreement, while criticising officials in Washington for voicing scepticism over cooperation with Moscow.

Checkpoints But reporters in Aleppo said no movement could be seen on the main route for humanitarian assistance into the east of the city. The war has killed at least 280,000 people and caused millions to flee, provoking the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II and helping to create a haven for Islamic State to conduct a global terror campaign.

The aid is eagerly anticipated in Aleppo, where Assad’s forces have been trying to retake the city from rebel control for weeks.

Aleppo-based activist Bahaa al-Halaby denied government troops had withdrawn from Castello road, however.

Syrian government forces and rebel groups have yet to withdraw from a road leading to the city of Aleppo, hindering the passage of aid to the Syrian city.

“On the Castello road, governmental forces have pulled back tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery to an agreed distance to create a demilitarized zone”, senior Russian General Staff official Viktor Poznikhir told journalists in Moscow during a briefing Friday.

“Russia has from the first minute fulfilled its obligations to enforce the cease-fire regime on Syrian territory”, Konashenkov said, according to Russia’s state-run Sputnik News.

SANA also reported violations of the cease-fire in the northwestern villages of Foua, saying sniper fire by insurgents wounded a Syrian boy there.

Video posted on Twitter earlier today showed what appeared to be bulldozers removing obstacles as the Syrian army withdrew from the Castello road area.

The opposition reported 29 violations by government forces Wednesday, including shelling, air raids and heavy machine gunfire.

Advertisement

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, meanwhile, says Thursday’s airstrike killed seven people.

Activists in Syria's besieged Aleppo protest against the UN for what they say is its failure to help aid arrive.'Hunger