Shelling was reported during the five-hour “humanitarian truce” ordered by Russia in Syria’s eastern Ghouta region that began at 9 am (12.30 pm Indian Standard Time) on Tuesday, BBC reported. The Russian military accused the rebels of violating the truce.
“Right now, there is intensive fire from the rebel side and not one civilian has left [the restive region of eastern Ghouta],” Russian General Viktor Pankov told Reuters.
War monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and witnesses had earlier reported that the region was “mostly calm”, Reuters reported. Several shells hit the towns of Douma, Harasta and Misraba before the “pause” started, the monitor reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered a daily five-hour truce on Monday, BBC reported. Moscow also ordered the Syrian government to set up a “humanitarian corridor” to allow civilians to leave the restive area, which is the last rebel-held stronghold.
Syrian state television reported that no civilians were using the human corridor near Douma over fears that rebels were planning to target the area, Reuters reported. A spokesperson for one of the rebel groups, Failaq al-Rahman, denied the reports that anyone was prevented from leaving. Al-Rahman said the civilians were not entering the corridor because it was a military area and they feared arrest or conscription.
President Bashar al-Assad’s forces violated a United Nations-imposed ceasefire on February 25. The UN Security Council approved the month-long ceasefire across Syria so humanitarian aid can reach people in the conflict zone. The ceasefire was ordered after Ghouta was continuously bombarded by airstrikes over the past eight days, leaving at least 520 people dead, many of them children. At least 2,500 people have been injured in the strikes.
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