A Syrian government military offensive in Aleppo, backed by Russia and Iran, was over, Russia's U.N. envoy said on Tuesday (December 13) as the United States described the violence in the besieged city as "modern evil."
Ambassador Vitaly Churkin initially told a heated U.N. Security Council meeting called by France and Britain the offensive was nearing an end, but he then corrected himself during the meeting that it had indeed already ended.
"The military activities in east Aleppo have stopped," Churkin "The Syrian government has established control over east Aleppo," Churkin said.
He said an agreement had been struck for rebels to evacuate the north-western city and he said civilians would be unharmed, despite western and U.N. accusations of the intentional killing of civilians.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, told the council that the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran bore responsibility for killings of civilians in Aleppo.
"It is your noose - three member states of the U.N. - contributing to a noose around civilians. It should shame you. Instead by all appearances it is emboldening you. You are plotting your next assault. Are you truly incapable of shame? is there literally nothing that can shame you? Is there no act of barbarism against civilians, no execution of a child, that gets under your skin that just creeps you out a little bit? Is there nothing you will not lie about or justify?" Power said.
The Syrian army and its allies have driven rebels out of most of the areas of Aleppo they held for years in the space of just weeks, aided by Russian air strikes and the military support of Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah and other militias.
Churkin brushed off Power's criticisms.
"As to arbitrary arrests or other violations of this agreement, that was concluded with the illegal armed groups, the Russian military has not reported such violations taking place. Moreover, this information can be confirmed by representatives currently placed in Aleppo of the International Red Cross as well as all UN humanitarian agencies working in Aleppo headed by the resident coordinator," Churkin said.
Syrian rebels said a ceasefire with government forces in Aleppo, agreed after talks between insurgents and Damascus's ally Russia, was to begin late on Tuesday and would include the evacuation of combatants and civilians.
The deal, acknowledged by Russia and Syria, signals Damascus's biggest victory over insurgents fighting to unseat President Bashar al-Assad in nearly six years of civil war, driving them from their last major urban stronghold.
A Syrian military source said the evacuation of fighters for the rebel-controlled western Aleppocountryside would start at 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday. The source said fighters' families would also leave, but did not mention other civilian evacuations.
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