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Conflict in Syria

Humanitarian pause begins in Aleppo

The Syrian government earlier announced the withdrawal of the troops from the positions in several areas of Aleppo

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BEIRUT, October 20. /TASS/. Humanitarian pause has come into effect in the Syrian city of Aleppo (360 kilometers from Damascus), the Syrian Army Command announced. According to the Command, the pause will last from 8:00 to 19:00 local time (5 am to 4 pm GMT).

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The Syrian government earlier announced the withdrawal of the troops from the positions in several areas of Aleppo "in order to allow the militants to leave Eastern Aleppo through special corridors." The authorities "have taken all the measures needed to ensure the unimpeded exit of civilians and armed militants."

According to the state news agency SANA, on Tuesday night civilians and unarmed combatants began to leave the besieged areas of the city. Syrian military servicemen and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer workers are assisting the sick and wounded and accompanying them to the temporary accommodation facilities.

The Syrian Army Command said in a statement that terrorists were preventing civilians from leaving some districts taking people hostage and even opening fire at them. On Thursday night three civilian dwelling areas of the city (Mashariqa, Saif al-Dawla and Ashrafiya) came under shelling.

Army seals fate of militants refusing to lay down arms

The Syrian Army Command has called on the militants controlling Eastern Aleppo "to take advantage of the amnesty and stop fighting," the state news agency SANA reported citing the Command’s statement.

The statement also said that the Syrian military "knows the locations of the militants’ positions, headquarters and arms caches."

"The fate of those militants who won’t lay down their arms, is sealed," the Syrian Army Command warned.

On Thursday the humanitarian pause has come into effect in Aleppo, it will last from 8:00 to 19:00 local time (5 am to 4 pm GMT). On Tuesday night civilians and unarmed combatants began to leave the besieged areas of the city. Syrian military servicemen and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer workers are assisting the sick and wounded and accompanying them to the temporary accommodation facilities.

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