Russia agrees to 8-hour ceasefire in Aleppo to allow civilians to evacuate

Russia and Syria are set to announce an eight-hour pause in their attacks on Thursday to allow civilians to leave Aleppo.

According to Reuters, the Russian Defense Minister announced on Monday, October 16, that Russian and Syrian armed forces will suspend their attacks on the city of Aleppo for eight hours on Thursday, October 20, to allow "civilians and rebels" to leave the city.

"On October 20, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (local time), a humanitarian pause will be established in the Aleppo region. During this period, the Russian Air Force and Syrian government forces will cease airstrikes and the use of other weapons," Sergei Radskoy, a Russian Defense Ministry official, said in a statement on Monday.

However, Moscow has rejected the option of a lasting ceasefire, believing that such a ceasefire would provide an opportunity for Islamist rebels to recruit.

This is the first cessation of attacks since a three-day ceasefire was established in Aleppo a month ago, following an agreement between the US and Russia.

For the past month, the United States has accused Russia and the Bashar al-Assad regime of committing war crimes in attacks on Assad's opponents in eastern Aleppo. In return, Russia and Assad say that terrorists are present in Aleppo.

Since the beginning of October, the United States and Russia have suspended direct negotiations on Syria, but on Saturday, the foreign ministers of the two countries held talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, which did not reach a conclusion.

Source: Voice of America