Russia Says ‘Humanitarian Corridor’ Has Been Set Up in Besieged Syrian City

The Russian military says the Syrian government has arranged a safe exit route for residents of the besieged rebel-held suburb of Damascus.

Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko, the head of the Russian military’s Center for Reconciliation in Syria, said Monday that Syrian government forces will maintain daily cease-fires in eastern Ghouta from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. He said the Syrian authorities set up a “humanitarian corridor” for civilians’ exit and would distribute leaflets with specifics about the evacuation.

Yevtushenko said the al-Qaida-linked militants and some rebel groups in eastern Ghouta are preventing civilians from leaving and using civilians there as shields while continuing to shell Damascus.

The announcement of the cease-fires comes two days after the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved of a resolution demanding a 30-day cease-fire across Syria.

Source: Associated Press