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Russia Says It’ll Discuss With U.S. a Deal on Exit for Insurgents in Aleppo Russia Says It’ll Discuss With U.S. a Deal on Exit for Insurgents in Aleppo
(about 2 hours later)
BEIRUT, Lebanon — With the Syrian rebel enclave of eastern Aleppo shriveling, Russia said on Monday that it would start talks with the United States this week on a deal for holdout insurgents to leave, and that any who refused would be regarded as terrorists subject to deadly assault.BEIRUT, Lebanon — With the Syrian rebel enclave of eastern Aleppo shriveling, Russia said on Monday that it would start talks with the United States this week on a deal for holdout insurgents to leave, and that any who refused would be regarded as terrorists subject to deadly assault.
There was no immediate comment from the United States on the Russia announcement, conveyed by Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov at a news conference in Moscow. But such an agreement with the United States, which has supported some of the insurgents ensconced in Aleppo, would appear to constitute a shift in American policy. The Russian announcement, conveyed by Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov at a news conference in Moscow, appeared to reflect the limited options facing the United States in Aleppo, where it has supported some of the ensconced insurgents.
United States officials, as well as the special United Nations envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, have up to now called only for a deal to evacuate several hundred Qaeda-linked fighters, not all the insurgents, who are believed to number several thousand. United States officials, as well as the special United Nations envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, have up to now called only for a deal to evacuate several hundred fighters linked to Al Qaeda, not all the insurgents, who are believed to number several thousand.
Mr. Lavrov’s comments came during another terrifying day for civilians in Aleppo, the formerly vibrant commercial epicenter of Syria that has become a pivotal battleground in the nearly six-year-old Syria war. Asked about Mr. Lavrov’s comments, the White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, suggested there was little the United States could or would do if Syrian and Russian forces targeted any eastern Aleppo holdouts. But he denounced the aerial assaults targeting the area as a strategy “to bomb innocent civilians into submission.”
Two Russian nurses in Aleppo were killed when mortar rounds apparently fired by rebels hit a hospital, prompting calls from Syrian government supporters for Russia to escalate its involvement in the battle. Mr. Lavrov’s comments came during another terrifying day for civilians in Aleppo, the formerly vibrant commercial center of Syria, which has become a pivotal battleground in the nearly six-year Syria war.
In the shrinking rebel redoubt on the eastern side of the city, intense artillery shelling and airstrikes forced residents to cower in basements. Some barrages were striking at the rate of a shell every second, some residents reported via text message, transmitting what appeared to be audio recordings of the blasts. Two Russian nurses in Aleppo were killed when mortar rounds apparently fired by rebels hit a military field hospital, prompting calls from supporters of the Syrian government for Russia to escalate its involvement in the battle.
In the shrinking rebel redoubt on the eastern side of the city, intense artillery shelling and airstrikes forced residents to cower in basements. Some barrages were striking at the rate of a shell every second, residents reported via text message, transmitting what appeared to be audio recordings of the blasts.
It was unclear how many people were killed in the Monday barrages, as makeshift health care systems in eastern Aleppo collapsed, but residents described seeing bodies on the streets because no one could pick them up.It was unclear how many people were killed in the Monday barrages, as makeshift health care systems in eastern Aleppo collapsed, but residents described seeing bodies on the streets because no one could pick them up.
On the government side, eight people were killed by rebel shelling on Monday, state media reported. On the government side, eight people were killed by rebel shelling on Monday, state news outlets reported.
Russia news media said the two nurses were killed from shelling on an Aleppo park that had been turned by the army into an field hospital. They were among the most high-profile deaths of Russian military personnel assisting the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The Russian news media said the two nurses were killed by shelling on an Aleppo park that had been turned by the army into an field hospital. They were among the highest-profile deaths of Russian military personnel helping the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia’s military assistance has been crucial to keeping the government afloat, and it has been providing food and services to people fleeing eastern Aleppo in the recent fighting, even as it is blamed by the opposition for backing indiscriminate bombing by the government. Russia’s military assistance has been crucial to keeping the government afloat, and Russia has been providing food and services to people fleeing eastern Aleppo in the recent fighting, even as it has been blamed by the opposition for backing indiscriminate bombing by the government.
Mr. Lavrov said he was confident that an agreement would be reached with the United States on a rebel withdrawal in talks to be held in Geneva starting on Tuesday or Wednesday. Mr. Lavrov said he was confident that an agreement on a rebel withdrawal would be reached with the United States during talks to be held in Geneva starting on Tuesday or Wednesday.
He said Secretary of State John F. Kerry had submitted a proposal for the routes and timing of the fighters’ departure after meeting Mr. Lavrov in Rome on Saturday. He said Secretary of State John Kerry had submitted a proposal for the routes and timing of the fighters’ departure after meeting with Mr. Lavrov in Rome on Saturday.
“Those armed groups who refuse to leave eastern Aleppo will be regarded as terrorists,” Mr. Lavrov told reporters. “We will treat them as such, as terrorists, as extremists and will support a Syrian army operation against those criminal squads.” “Those armed groups who refuse to leave eastern Aleppo will be regarded as terrorists,” Mr. Lavrov told reporters. “We will treat them as such, as terrorists, as extremists and will support a Syrian Army operation against those criminal squads.”
Perhaps one indication of the intensification of violence on Monday was that nearly every person contacted in Aleppo had been injured or experienced a scare. At the United Nations Security Council, diplomats sought to impose a brief cease-fire in Aleppo, but after weeks of negotiations, Russia and China vetoed it. United Nations officials have pleaded for a cessation in fighting in order to get food and medicine into the besieged rebel-held portion of Aleppo.
In one part of rebel-held Aleppo, Hisham Skeif, a local council member, had been wounded in his hand by shrapnel. Bassem Ayoub, an antigovernment activist, survived a nearby shelling that damaged his car. Zaher al-Zaher, another activist, said he was walking with his mother when a shell fell seven meters away. Perhaps one indication of the intensification of violence on Monday was that nearly every person contacted in Aleppo had been injured or had experienced a scare.
“No words can describe the situation. The shelling is not only close but they’re falling on us,” he said. In one part of rebel-held Aleppo, Hisham Skeif, a local council member, had been wounded in his hand by shrapnel. Bassem Ayoub, an antigovernment activist, survived a nearby shelling that damaged his car. Zaher al-Zaher, another activist, said he was walking with his mother when a shell fell about seven yards away.
A government maintenance worker on the western, government-held side heard heavy shelling and saw smoke nearby, and said his sister had been wounded in the hand by shrapnel in another area. “No words can describe the situation,” he said. “The shelling is not only close, but they’re falling on us.”
Shells also fell in the area of Aleppo’s Shahba hotel, according to several international journalists staying there. A Russian journalist was reported injured in the field hospital shelling. A government maintenance worker on the western, government-held side of the city said that he had heard heavy shelling and seen smoke nearby, and that in another area his sister had been wounded in the hand by shrapnel.
Shells also fell near Aleppo’s Shahba Hotel, according to several international journalists staying there. A Russian journalist was reported injured in the field hospital shelling.