World, Middle East

Russia extends 'humanitarian pause' in Aleppo

Russian UN envoy confirms suspension of airstrikes will continue until Monday if 'armed groups' hold their fire

Ayşe Hümeyra Atılgan  | 20.10.2016 - Update : 21.10.2016
Russia extends 'humanitarian pause' in Aleppo Sergey Shoigu ( Hakan Ceyhan Aydoğan - Anadolu Ajansı )

Istanbul

By Hakan Ceyhan Aydogan

MOSCOW

Russia's envoy to the UN in Geneva has said a “humanitarian pause” in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo has been extended until Oct. 24.

In a statement to Tass news agency on Friday, Alexey Borodavkin said: "The humanitarian pause in Aleppo has been extended until Monday. As long as al-Nusra [now called Fatah al-Sham Front] and other armed groups abide by the cessation of hostilities, the humanitarian pause will be extended further."

At a news conference Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was ready to extend the suspension of airstrikes as long as armed groups did not go into action.

Hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed or injured in Russian and Syrian airstrikes since Sept. 19, when Assad regime announced the end of a week-long truce.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which erupted as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, more than a quarter of a million people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced across the war-torn country, according to UN figures.

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