But by Friday evening, no evacuations were seen along the corridor, reflecting the intractable nature of Syria’s civil war, now in its sixth year. He told reporters in Geneva that the evacuations couldn’t begin “because the necessary conditions were not in place to ensure safe, secure and voluntary” movement of people. Rudskoi, of the Russian Defence Ministry, accused militants of firing at humanitarian corridors and using the break to prepare for an offensive. “The terrorists are doing everything to prevent civilians and the militants from leaving eastern Aleppo,” he said. The council voted 24-7, with 16 abstentions, at a special session on the “deteriorating situation of human rights” in Syria and in Aleppo.

Source: thestar October 21, 2016 16:07 UTC