UN arrives in Aleppo to escort al-Qaeda to safety
©
AP Photo/ Ariel Schalit
UN
staff arrived in Syria's Aleppo on Saturday to carry out militants'
evacuation from the eastern part of the city, a source on the ground
told Sputnik.
On October 6, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura offered to accompany Jabhat Fatah al Sham (also known as Nusra Front, or Jabhat al-Nusra) militants if they decided to leave Aleppo with arms and to head for the city of Idlib or somewhere else. Russia supported this offer.
The source said that the UN employees had arrived to Bustan Qasr district where the buses to take the militants away were already waiting.
The evacuation may begin later in the day, however, the total number of evacuees remains unknown.
Fighting in Aleppo has recently escalated with the Syrian army and local militia forces having managed to encircle large groups of militants in the eastern districts of Aleppo. Government troops began to advance after the September 12 ceasefire collapsed.
On October 6, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura offered to accompany Jabhat Fatah al Sham (also known as Nusra Front, or Jabhat al-Nusra) militants if they decided to leave Aleppo with arms and to head for the city of Idlib or somewhere else. Russia supported this offer.
The source said that the UN employees had arrived to Bustan Qasr district where the buses to take the militants away were already waiting.
The evacuation may begin later in the day, however, the total number of evacuees remains unknown.
Fighting in Aleppo has recently escalated with the Syrian army and local militia forces having managed to encircle large groups of militants in the eastern districts of Aleppo. Government troops began to advance after the September 12 ceasefire collapsed.
Comment: Desperate times, desperate measures? Even though the UN has authorized and called for the destruction of al-Nusra, and the Russians are the only ones doing just that (along with Syria and Iran), the Russians support this deal. It's kind of the least worst option. The rebels have refused to leave Aleppo and the ceasefire (designed in part to facilitate their movement out of Aleppo) has failed. If this works, it will be a small victory. But what are the chances that the terrorist organization al-Nusra will follow through? Not very, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Update: Fars News Agency is reporting that some 2,000 militants are ready to stop fighting in eastern Aleppo, allegedly due to "rising public protests against the presence of Jeish al-Fatah terrorists" in the encircled city:
"In an unprecedented move, a least 2,000 militants have contacted their families and announced their readiness to lay down arms and join the peace plan in Aleppo city," Arabic-language al-Watan reported on Saturday, quoting militants' relatives and family members.
"In the meantime, renowned figures and tribal leaders in Aleppo districts have formed local committees to identify those militants who want to join the peace agreement to introduce them to the national reconciliation committees," al-Watansaid, adding, "Popular protests against militancy and the Syrian government forces' advances have caused a rising despair among the militants and a recent growth in their surrender to the government forces."
Comment: Desperate times, desperate measures? Even though the UN has authorized and called for the destruction of al-Nusra, and the Russians are the only ones doing just that (along with Syria and Iran), the Russians support this deal. It's kind of the least worst option. The rebels have refused to leave Aleppo and the ceasefire (designed in part to facilitate their movement out of Aleppo) has failed. If this works, it will be a small victory. But what are the chances that the terrorist organization al-Nusra will follow through? Not very, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Update: Fars News Agency is reporting that some 2,000 militants are ready to stop fighting in eastern Aleppo, allegedly due to "rising public protests against the presence of Jeish al-Fatah terrorists" in the encircled city:
"In an unprecedented move, a least 2,000 militants have contacted their families and announced their readiness to lay down arms and join the peace plan in Aleppo city," Arabic-language al-Watan reported on Saturday, quoting militants' relatives and family members.
"In the meantime, renowned figures and tribal leaders in Aleppo districts have formed local committees to identify those militants who want to join the peace agreement to introduce them to the national reconciliation committees," al-Watansaid, adding, "Popular protests against militancy and the Syrian government forces' advances have caused a rising despair among the militants and a recent growth in their surrender to the government forces."
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