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Lavrov, Kerry discuss humanitarian pause in Syria's Aleppo over phone

Xinhua, October 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the humanitarian pause in airstrikes on the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo over phone on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russia and Syria on Monday announced a humanitarian truce from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time (0500 GMT to 1300 GMT) on Thursday in rebel-held areas of Aleppo, and decided on Wednesday to extend it for another three hours.

The truce was aimed at ensuring the safe exit of civilians and militants, as well as the wounded and the sick from the contested city.

Larvrov said militants in eastern Aleppo have tried to disrupt the pause and prevented civilians from leaving, while urging the U.S. side to fulfill its promise to separate the "moderate" oppositions from terrorist groups there, the ministry said in an online statement.

He added that Russian and Syrian air forces are ready to extend the truce if the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front terrorist group stops violating the ceasefire.

Earlier on Thursday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu announced that Russia had decided to extend the humanitarian truce in Aleppo by another 24 hours.

The two sides promised that Russian and U.S. experts would continue contacts on the Syrian settlement, according to the statement. Endit