Kremlin: Terrorists in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta Keep Population Hostage

Amid a 30-day cessation of hostilities in Syria agreed upon during Damascus’ anti-terrorist operation in Eastern Ghouta, Russian and Syrian top officials have commented on the situation in the country.

Moscow Concerned With Escalation in East Ghouta Despite UN Resolution

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a briefing on Monday with the permanent members of Russia’s Security Council to discuss the situation in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta and the continuing provocations by terrorists in Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, according to Sputnik.

Earlier in the day, Peskov said that the dire humanitarian situation in that area had been addressed by the Russian president in a phone call with his counterparts from France and Germany that was held on Sunday.

 “The situation in Syria… causes extreme concern. The terrorists who are in East Ghouta, do not lay down their arms, they keep the local population hostage, and this is the reason for the very tense situation,” Peskov said.

The phone talk came after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2401 on Saturday, urging all parties to the conflict to immediately stop all clashes and adhere to a long-term humanitarian pause on the entire territory of Syria in order to ensure the safe and unhindered supply of humanitarian aid as well as medical evacuation of those injured.

Russia Calls on Armed Groups to Let Civilians Leave Syria’s Eastern Ghouta

According to Itar Tass, Head of the Russian Center for  Coordination Reconciliation in Syria Major General Yuri Yevtushenko told reporters that the Russia has called on armed groups active in Eastern Ghouta to let civilians leave the area through a humanitarian corridor.

“We call on militant leaders to demine areas near the humanitarian corridor and let civilians leave Eastern Ghouta,” he said.

The Russian general added that starting from February 27, daily humanitarian pauses would be declared certain Ghouta areas from 09:00 to 14:00, while Syrian government forces would stop attacks against terrorists.

Terrorists in Syrian E Ghouta Hold 100s of Civilians Hostage – Russian Military

Sputnik cited the Russian military as saying that the situation in the Damascus suburb controlled by terrorists from various terrorist groups is deteriorating despite the UNSC unanimously adopting a resolution calling for the establishment of a 30-day truce and a humanitarian pause.

Humanitarian Corridor for Trapped Civilians Prepared

The militants, including those controlled by Jaysh al-Islam and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups, hold hundreds of people in East Ghouta, including children and women, hostage, according to Yevtushenko.

“Despite the UN Security Council resolution on the establishment of a 30-day ceasefire in Syria, the situation in Eastern Ghouta continues to worsen,” Yevtushenko said at a daily briefing on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Russian reconciliation center said in a separate statement it had prepared a humanitarian corridor running from Eastern Ghouta to the Wafedeen refugee camp with the assistance of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC).

“People will get the directions for exit routes by information leaflets spread in the area, loudspeakers and SMS-messaging,” the center stated, also calling on the Syrian militants to demine approaches to the humanitarian corridor.

Terrorists Keep Targeting Damascus

Moreover, Yevtushenko went on, the militants continue attacks against residential areas of Damascus from Eastern Ghouta, firing 228 mortar and artillery shells over the past week.

“Despite reconciliation statements made by the Jaish al-Islam, insurgents [terrorists] continue mortar shelling from the controlled territory targeting the city of Damascus … several people lost their lives, more than 50 were injured and including 16 children [in a week],” the Russian reconciliation center said in a statement.

The Russian Defense Ministry has said that armed groups are trying to break the ceasefire by attempting to provoke the Syrian army.

Lavrov: US Keeps Working to Establish Qausi-State in Syria

Speaking on the Syrian issue at a press conference on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has touched upon the reports of alleged chemical weapons use, saying that they aim to derail ceasefire agreements in Syria.

“There has already been disinformation in the media that last night or this morning chlorine gas was used in Eastern Ghouta as a toxic substance, citing an anonymous individual who lives in the United States … Other disinformation is likely,” Lavrov noted.

“Attempts from such sources will, of course, continue for the sole purpose of denigrating… the government forces, accusing them… of war crimes in order to implement consistently those actions that we already observe in the eastern regions of Syria, where the United States is implementing, I am convinced, the scenario of creating a quasi-state, the scenario of a split of Syria,” he added.

The Russian foreign minister clarified that the UN resolution 2401 stipulates that “ceasefire” would begin when all sides agree on its nature.

“Does this resolution have a chance to be implemented… Overall, yes – such chance exists if all Syrian sides on the ground, all those who support them, including outside of Syria … if all of them are guided by the UN Security Council’s demand to cease hostilities to ensure at humanitarian pause of at least 30 days,” he told a press conference.

Syria: Anti-Terrorism Operation to Continue

“We made it clear that this resolution is valid for the entire territory of Syria, including Afrin and territories where the US forces are deployed. The second aspect is that the resolution is not applied to the actions against Daesh and Nusra Front terror groups, which means that operations against these groups are not prohibited,” Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Hussam Edin Aala has said.

The representative has also noted that the Syrian government forces are conducting the operation against aforementioned terrorist organizations in the country, including in East Ghouta.

This comes as UN General Secretary General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein praised the adoption of the UN resolution 2401, which envisages the introduction of a “ceasefire” regime throughout Syria for 30 days. Guterres and Al Hussein underscored the importance of cessation of hostilities in accordance with this resolution, primarily in East Ghouta.

Notorious White Helmets Report Alleged Chemical Attack, Blame Syrian Government Again

The infamous White Helmets, a group that has been falsifying information about its operations and essentially working as a propaganda outlet for armed groups in Syria, now claims that Damascus deployed chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta.

Sputnik reported, citing Anadolu Agency, that the notorious group, that styles itself as an NGO seeking to ease the plight of civilians in Syria, claims that “the Syrian government deployed chlorine gas against the town of Al-Shifoniya town in Eastern Ghouta, causing casualties.

The White Helmets has previously been accused of falsifying information about its work in Syria and staging “rescue” attempts in its propaganda videos.

Earlier the Russian Defense Ministry warned that militant groups in Eastern Ghouta were preparing a false flag attack in an attempt to blame Damascus for using chemical weapons against civilians.

“Evidence has shown that the leaders of illegal armed formations in Eastern Ghouta are preparing a provocation using poisonous agents in order to accuse the government forces of using chemical weapons against its civilians,” a statement issued by the ministry said.

H.M