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Conflict in Syria

Second humanitarian pause begins in Eastern Ghouta

Militants disrupt the humanitarian pause by shelling

© EPA-EFE/MOHAMMED BADRA

MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. The second humanitarian pause has been launched in Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb, to enable the locals to leave this area through special corridors. On Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu declared the introduction of such daily pauses from 09:00 to 14:00 local time (from 10:00 to 15:00 Moscow time) starting from February 27.

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The second humanitarian pause in Eastern Ghouta in Syria started with a mortar attack by the militants. Reporters working in Syria witnessed the attack. After 09:00 am local time (10:00 Moscow time), the militants continued mortar and small arms fire over positions of the government forces in the humanitarian corridor in the community of Muhayam Al-Vafidin.

Representative of the Russian Reconciliation Center for the Conflicting Sides in Syria Major General Vladimir Zolotukhin said that during the humanitarian pause the militants fired a corridor for civilians leaving Eastern Ghouta every 30 minutes, which ultimately disrupted the evacuation, and not a single civilian managed to leave the area that day.

"In addition, militants from armed groups continued to attack positions of government forces near the communities of Hazrama and Nashabiyah, and after 13:00 (14:00 Moscow time - TASS) they launched an offensive in other directions as well. These actions were supported by heavy artillery fire and small arms fire," the general added.

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