GENEVA, December 14. /TASS/. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hopes that the plan of militant withdrawal from the Syrian city of Aleppo will succeed and benefit the city’s civilian population, an ICRC spokeswoman told TASS late Tuesday.
When asked to comment on reports about the reported participation of ICRC staff in the planned withdrawal, Spokesperson for Near & Middle East Krista Armstrong said that "at present, the different sides are still discussing the details of this agreement, and how it will be implemented."
"Fundamentally, we hope it will materialize and - most importantly - that it will take into consideration the interests of the civilians," she said.
"If the basic humanitarian principles are met, and if the parties are in favour, we stand ready to act as a neutral humanitarian intermediary and to assist civilians who are in need," the spokeswoman went on. "We are preparing contingency plans, so we can be able to act fast, if needed."
The Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV reported earlier Tuesday that about 5,000 militants and their families will be allowed to leave Aleppo via special corridors on Wednesday morning. According to the channel, the withdrawal will be carried out under the auspices of the ICRC. Under the previously reached agreement, the militants will be taken to the town of Atarib west of Aleppo via a special corridor and then be taken to the province of Idlib, currently under the control of illegal armed groups.
The militants will be allowed to take guns with them, but will have to hand over heavy weaponry to the Syrian government forces.
Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin announced at the UN Security Council meeting that the hostilities in eastern Aleppo were over and the city is fully under control of the Syrian government forces.