Aleppo Humanitarian Pause Impossible to Keep in Case of Militant Advance

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that continuing the humanitarian pause in the event of resumed militant offensive operations in Aleppo would be impossible.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Maintaining a humanitarian pause in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo would be impossible in the event of a militant advance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

"If you remember, we said when the president deemed it necessary to extend the humanitarian pause that, in any case, everything will depend on the position assumed by the terrorists, because continuing the humanitarian pause in the event of resumed militant offensive operations would be impossible," Peskov told reporters.

On October 20, the Russian "humanitarian pause" was introduced in Aleppo to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians from eastern part of the city via eight designated corridors. During the humanitarian pause, the Nusra Front terrorist group, currently known as Jabhat Fatah al Sham, prevented civilians from fleeing the city, attacking them.

Aleppo has become the scene of ferocious battles between the Syrian army and the militants holding the city's eastern districts, with many international organizations voicing their concern about the civilian population trapped in the city torn by war.