Shelling of eastern Ghouta continues despite Russia's call for 'humanitarian pause'
- 6 years ago
Now for a look at stories making headlines around the world… and we catch up on the latest in Syria's eastern Ghouta….
Airstrikes by pro-government forces are reportedly continuing despite Russian President Putin's call for a so-called "humanitarian pause."
For more on this and other international news we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram… Putin had called for a five-hour pause to shelling every day, but it seems the bombardment continues...
That's right Semin…. the "humanitarian pause," as Putin put it, was meant to allow for civilians to evacuate the rebel-held area.
It was meant to start Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, but activists on the ground reported airstrikes and artillery fire from pro-regime positions within minutes of when the pause was meant to start.
Russia and its ally Syria, however, blamed the rebels for the collapse of the truce.
They accused rebels of shelling what Moscow has described as "humanitarian corridors," meant to give civilians safe passage out of the enclave.
The insurgents denied such shelling, and UN Security Council members, including the U.S., have been demanding Moscow implement a 30-day ceasefire resolution adopted on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Russia's proposed pause in hostilities is also meant to allow humanitarian aid to come in.
But, the International Committee of the Red Cross says the five-hour pause is too short for delivery of vast amounts of life-saving aid.
Hundreds of people have died during the bombardment, which intensified about a week and a half ago, marking one of the deadliest in the Syrian civil war - now entering its eighth year.
Without a clear indication as to whether or not the UN ceasefire will be enforced, eastern Ghouta could face a similar fate to other parts of Syria, which have been crushed by the government to win back territory.
The latest to fall to Syria's military was eastern Aleppo in late 2016.
Airstrikes by pro-government forces are reportedly continuing despite Russian President Putin's call for a so-called "humanitarian pause."
For more on this and other international news we turn to our Ro Aram…
Aram… Putin had called for a five-hour pause to shelling every day, but it seems the bombardment continues...
That's right Semin…. the "humanitarian pause," as Putin put it, was meant to allow for civilians to evacuate the rebel-held area.
It was meant to start Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, but activists on the ground reported airstrikes and artillery fire from pro-regime positions within minutes of when the pause was meant to start.
Russia and its ally Syria, however, blamed the rebels for the collapse of the truce.
They accused rebels of shelling what Moscow has described as "humanitarian corridors," meant to give civilians safe passage out of the enclave.
The insurgents denied such shelling, and UN Security Council members, including the U.S., have been demanding Moscow implement a 30-day ceasefire resolution adopted on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Russia's proposed pause in hostilities is also meant to allow humanitarian aid to come in.
But, the International Committee of the Red Cross says the five-hour pause is too short for delivery of vast amounts of life-saving aid.
Hundreds of people have died during the bombardment, which intensified about a week and a half ago, marking one of the deadliest in the Syrian civil war - now entering its eighth year.
Without a clear indication as to whether or not the UN ceasefire will be enforced, eastern Ghouta could face a similar fate to other parts of Syria, which have been crushed by the government to win back territory.
The latest to fall to Syria's military was eastern Aleppo in late 2016.