Clashes, artillery fire hit Aleppo after truce expires

Heavy clashes erupted between government and rebel forces in Syria’s divided city of Aleppo after a “humanitarian” cease-fire announced by government ally Russia expired before the UN could evacuate wounded civilians from rebel-held areas.

Moscow had extended the unilateral “humanitarian pause” into a third day until 1600 GMT on Saturday but announced no further renewal, as fierce fighting broke in several areas along the front line dividing the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Three people were wounded by shelling of the rebelheld Salaheddin and AlMashhad districts, they said, adding that the first air strikes since the end of the truce hit the opposition-controlled district of Sheikh Saeed where there was also heavy fighting.

An AFP correspondent in rebel-held eastern districts also reported sounds of fighting and artillery fire.

Neither residents nor rebels of opposition-held districts heeded calls from Syria’s army and Moscow to leave during the cease-fire, after weeks of devastating bombardment and a three- month government siege.

The pause began on Thursday, and came after Moscow announced a temporary halt to the Syrian army’s campaign to recapture the divided city.

The army opened eight corridors for evacuations, but just a handful of people crossed through a single passage, with the others remaining deserted.

Syrian media and Russian authorities have accused rebels in the east of preventing civilians from leaving and using them as “human shields”.

More than 2,000 civilians have been wounded since the army launched its offen- sive to drive the rebels out of the eastern districts they have held since 2012. Nearly 500 people have been killed.

The United Nations had hoped to use the cease-fire to evacuate seriously wounded people, and possibly deliver aid.

But a UN official said on Saturday the requisite security guarantees had not been received.

“You have various parties to the conflict and those with influence and they all have to be on the same page on this and they are not,” said David Swanson, a spokesman for the UN humanitarian office.

You have various parties to the conflict and those with influence and they all have to be on the same page on this and they are not.” David Swanson, a spokesman for the UN humanitarian office