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Syria rejects truce with rebels in Aleppo city

Xinhua, December 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Syria's Foreign Ministry rejected on Tuesday all attempts to establish a ceasefire in the country's focal city of Aleppo, unless all terrorists leave the city, according to state news agency SANA.

The ministry's remarks came against the backdrop of a resolution voted upon a day earlier at the UN Security Council, calling for a ceasefire in the rebel-held eastern part of Aleppo in northern Syria.

"We have stressed that we will not leave our citizens hostage for terrorists in eastern Aleppo and we will exert all efforts to set them free, and thus we reject any attempt, from any party, to establish a ceasefire in Aleppo, unless all terrorists evacuate the city," the ministry stated.

Calls by western powers for a cessation of hostilities in eastern Aleppo were negated by a double veto from Russia and China.

The ministry expressed its gratitude to both countries for their veto, saying the veto hindered attempts by foreign powers to enable terrorists in eastern Aleppo to regroup and empower themselves.

This comes as the Syrian army has regained control of two thirds of rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo, part of a major offensive recently launched to liberate the eastern part of the city from all rebel presence.

Noteworthy, a truce was previously observed in Aleppo, but both the government and the rebels exchanged accusations for weak attempts toward maintaining it.

Currently, as rebel-held areas fall like dominos, the Syrian army and its allies are unwilling to repeat previous mistakes, expressing their resolve to drive out all the rebels once and for all.

Over 30,000 civilians fled eastern Aleppo in the past two weeks toward government-controlled areas in the western part of the city.

The Syrian army says it will continue its operation until all rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo are recaptured.

The rebels captured eastern Aleppo in 2012, and government forces recently imposed a siege on the area before unleashing a broad offensive for its recapture.

Humanitarian organizations sounded the alarm about the dire situation of 250,000 people living in eastern Aleppo, and the government promised to improve the situation of those relocated to government-controlled areas. Endit