Russia extends 'humanitarian pause' in Aleppo

Russia’s envoy to the UN has said a “humanitarian pause” in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo has been extended until 24 October.

In a statement to Tass news agency today, Alexey Borodavkin said: “The humanitarian pause in Aleppo has been extended until Monday. As long as Al-Nusra [now called Fatah Al-Sham Front] and other armed groups abide by the cessation of hostilities, the humanitarian pause will be extended further.”

At a news conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was ready to extend the suspension of airstrikes as long as armed groups did not go into action.

Hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed or injured in Russian and Syrian airstrikes since 19 September, when Assad regime forces announced the end of a week-long truce.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when President Bashar Al-Assad cracked down on pro-democracy protests – which erupted as part of the “Arab Spring” uprisings – with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, more than a quarter of a million people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced across the war-torn country, according to UN figures.