Russian General Staff: Russian, Syrian Air Forces Sorties Suspended in Aleppo Area since October 18th
MOSCOW– The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation announced on Tuesday that Moscow and Damascus will extend the suspension of sorties by the Russian and Syrian air forces over Aleppo and its countryside which began on October 18th, SANA reported.
Director of Operations at the Russian General Staff Lieutenant General Sergey Rudskoy said that the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Air Force suspended fully their sorties in an area extending 10 kilometers around Aleppo city, affirming this suspension will be extended and that Moscow and Damascus will not give in to the provocations carried out by armed groups.
Rudskoy affirmed Russia’s readiness to maintain the humanitarian pause in case there is information about readiness to evacuate civilians, noting that the western neighborhoods of Aleppo were targeted by 52 shelling attacks by terrorists during 3 days of humanitarian pause, which claimed the lives of 14 people and injured 50 others.
He also noted that ISIS terrorists continue to infiltrate across the borders from Iraq to Syria, with 300 ISIS terrorists reaching Deir Ezzor city after fleeing Mosul, adding that the efforts of the “international coalition” have so far failed to make any notable results in liberating Mosul from ISIS, while coalition aircrafts have killed over 60 people and injured 200 others in airstrikes on Mosul and neighboring towns, including in airstrike by an American warplane on a school for girls south of Mosul.
Earlier today, the Russian Defense Ministry affirmed that the Russian and Syrian air forces haven’t carried out any sorties over Aleppo area for 7 days, and they aren’t approaching the city or targeting militants in its surroundings, adding that the evacuation of civilians from the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo is still underway, with 48 women and children having been evacuated on Monday.