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Corridors for refugees from Rukban camp open — Russia's Defense Ministry

Earlier it was announced that the checkpoints would operate round the clock

MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. Two humanitarian corridors for refugees who wish to leave the Rukban refugee camp are open, the chief of Russia’s National Defense Control Center Mikhail Mizintsev said on Tuesday.

"In accordance with the February 16 joint statement by the Russian and Syrian coordination centers on opening the humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of Syrians from the Rukban camp two checkpoints at Jleb and Jabal al-Ghurab opened today," Mizintsev said.

Earlier it was announced that the checkpoints would operate round the clock. Syrian law-enforcers and Russian military police will maintain security.

Rukban is located in the Al-Tanf security zone, where the US has a military base. Opposition militants have blocked the perimeter in the security zone to the delivery of humanitarian aid from the United Nations and the Syrian government to the camp. According to the World Health Organization Rukban accommodates about 40,000 poeple, mostly women and children. Several residents of the camp have died due to bad conditions.