MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. The leaders of militant groups in the east of Aleppo violated agreements with the Syrian authorities on their withdrawal from the city and resumed combat operations Wednesday morning, but their attack was beaten back, the Russian military’s reconciliation center in Syria said.

"In accordance with the agreements between the Syrian authorities and the leaders of armed groups in eastern Aleppo the Russian center for the reconciliation of warring factions had made arrangements for the militants’ withdrawal towards Idlib. The pullout was scheduled to begin at about 06:00 local time. Passenger busses were to take them out via a corridor through the Salakh ad-Din quarter. When the vehicles arrived at the agreed boarding site the militants opened fire on the column," the statement runs.

The reconciliation center said the militants had taken advantage of the ceasefire to regroup themselves and resume combat operations at dawn on Wednesday, trying to break through the Syrian troops’ positions towards the northwest.

"The terrorists were rolled back. The Syrian army went ahead with the operation to retake eastern Aleppo’s quarters from the militants," the reconciliation center said.