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| Aleppo battle: UN chief warns of 'atrocities against civilians' | Aleppo battle: UN chief warns of 'atrocities against civilians' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced alarm "over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians" in Syria's city of Aleppo. | UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced alarm "over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians" in Syria's city of Aleppo. |
| Mr Ban urged all the sides, particularly Syria's government and its allies, to protect civilians. | Mr Ban urged all the sides, particularly Syria's government and its allies, to protect civilians. |
| UN humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland earlier said Syria and Russia were "accountable" for any atrocities committed by pro-government militias. | UN humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland earlier said Syria and Russia were "accountable" for any atrocities committed by pro-government militias. |
| Major gains by Syria's army have left Aleppo rebels on the brink of defeat. | Major gains by Syria's army have left Aleppo rebels on the brink of defeat. |
| In a statement, Mr Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said "the secretary-general is alarmed over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, in recent hours in Aleppo". | In a statement, Mr Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said "the secretary-general is alarmed over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, in recent hours in Aleppo". |
| "While stressing that the United Nations is not able to independently verify these reports, the secretary-general is conveying his grave concern to the relevant parties. | "While stressing that the United Nations is not able to independently verify these reports, the secretary-general is conveying his grave concern to the relevant parties. |
| "He has instructed his special envoy for Syria to follow up urgently with the parties concerned," the statement added. | "He has instructed his special envoy for Syria to follow up urgently with the parties concerned," the statement added. |
| So far there have been no public comments on the issue by Syria's government or its ally Russia. | |
| Mr Egeland earlier tweeted that the governments of Syria and Russia were "accountable for any and all atrocities that the victorious militias in Aleppo are now committing". | Mr Egeland earlier tweeted that the governments of Syria and Russia were "accountable for any and all atrocities that the victorious militias in Aleppo are now committing". |
| Rebels have now lost more than 90% of the territory they once held in eastern Aleppo since government forces stepped up their offensive to regain full control of the city a month ago. | Rebels have now lost more than 90% of the territory they once held in eastern Aleppo since government forces stepped up their offensive to regain full control of the city a month ago. |
| Earlier on Monday, Lt Gen Zaid al-Saleh, head of the Syrian government's local security committee, said rebel fighters did not "have much time" and needed to "surrender or die". | Earlier on Monday, Lt Gen Zaid al-Saleh, head of the Syrian government's local security committee, said rebel fighters did not "have much time" and needed to "surrender or die". |
| Tens of thousands of civilians are also believed to be in the rebel enclave. | Tens of thousands of civilians are also believed to be in the rebel enclave. |
| Syrian state TV showed footage of people in Aleppo celebrating, amid reports the army was close to victory. | Syrian state TV showed footage of people in Aleppo celebrating, amid reports the army was close to victory. |
| For much of the past four years the city has been divided roughly in two, with the government controlling the western half and rebels the east. | For much of the past four years the city has been divided roughly in two, with the government controlling the western half and rebels the east. |
| Syrian troops finally broke the deadlock with the help of Iranian-backed militias and Russian air strikes, reinstating a siege on the east in early September and launching an all-out assault weeks later. | Syrian troops finally broke the deadlock with the help of Iranian-backed militias and Russian air strikes, reinstating a siege on the east in early September and launching an all-out assault weeks later. |
| Russia, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, says more than 100,000 civilians have been displaced by the fighting and that 2,200 rebel fighters have surrendered. | |
| The Syrian Observatory says that at least 415 civilians and 364 rebel fighters have been killed in rebel-held areas since 15 November. Another 130 civilians have died in rebel rocket and mortar attacks on the government-controlled west. | |
| Russia and the United States, which backs the rebels, held talks in Geneva over the weekend to discuss a deal for civilians and rebel fighters to leave Aleppo. | |
| But on Monday, US officials said their Russian counterparts had rejected a proposal for an immediate cessation of hostilities to allow for safe departures. | |
| Analysts say the fall of Aleppo would be a big blow to the opposition, as it would leave the government in control of Syria's four largest cities. | |
| Analysis - by Lyse Doucet, BBC News Chief International Correspondent, Beirut | |
| As fighting intensified for the last rebel-held neighbourhoods, there have been frantic efforts to secure guarantees to evacuate the most vulnerable - the very ill, gravely injured and innocent children. All efforts have been in vain. | |
| "It's a far dream," one frustrated aid official told me on Monday, about a long-standing request for a UN-organised medical mission for about 500 patients and their families. | |
| Two efforts, which seemed close to agreement, collapsed last week when Russia asserted there was no need for a ceasefire since tens of thousands were escaping without one. Sources say Russia then shifted its stance. But rebel groups demanded a ceasefire and a delivery of aid first. | |
| In desperation, aid agencies reduced their request from 72 hours to just three. A group known as "Doctors Under Fire" has also been pleading for the evacuation of hundreds of children. | |
| British surgeon Dr David Nott says "we only need a temporary cessation of 60 minutes to save them all." Even that seems to have been too much. |