Syrian opposition tells US it will not leave Aleppo

Syrian opposition groups have informed the United States that they will not leave Aleppo, in response to Moscow’s calls for talks with Washington over their withdrawal from the besieged city’s eastern neighbourhoods.

Senior opposition official, Zakaria Malahifji, told Reuters yesterday that “US officials had asked the opposition forces “do you want to leave, [or] do you want to be steadfast”.

Malahifji, the head of the political office of an Aleppo opposition group said: “Our response to the Americans was: ‘We cannot leave our city, our homes, to the mercenary militias that the regime has mobilised in Aleppo’.”

“They listened to the response and did not comment,” he said.