RTSat, 10 Mar 2018 18:45 UTC
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A woman and three children were killed as militants opened fire on civilians to prevent them leaving Syria's Eastern Ghouta, the Syrian SANA news agency reports. The victims were attempting to escape via a safe passage.
The four civilians were trying to pass through a recently opened humanitarian corridor from Jisrein to Mlekha during the twelfth humanitarian pause, SANA reported citing its journalist on the ground on Saturday.The same area saw an increased number of confrontations between locals and militants after the opening of Jisrein-Mlekha checkpoint on Thursday, according to spokesman for the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria, Major General Vladimir Zolotukhin.
"After the opening of an additional checkpoint in the direction of Jisrein-Mlekha area, the Syrian side has registered increased number of clashes between the civilians and the militants who are blocking the exits from the area," Zolotukhin told reporters.On Friday, the Russian military said that the first group of militants surrendered their arms and left the rebel-controlled Damascus suburb through Muhayam al-Wafideen corridor. An increasing number of rebel fighters in Syria seek to disassociate themselves from Jabhat Al-Nusra terrorists, according to the head of the Reconciliation Center, Major General Yury Yevtushenko.
Militants in Eastern Ghouta have been blocking civilians trying to leave the suburb since the first humanitarian corridor was opened at the end of February. The Russian military has repeatedly said that terrorists use civilians as human shields and their homes as shelters.
Comment: The Russian Center for Syrian reconciliation is
holding talks with the leaders of the illegal armed units on the withdrawal of the second group of militants from the Damascus' suburb of Eastern Ghouta, the center's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zolotukhin, said.
"The intensive negotiations between the representatives of the Center for Syrian reconciliation and the leaders of the illegal armed units of the Syrian opposition are underway in order to reach the agreement on the withdrawal of the second group of militants from the Eastern Ghouta de-escalation zone," Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zolotukhin said.
The Russian official pointed out that the situation remained tense.
"The shelling of Damascus residential areas and its closest suburbs is underway. Militants from Eastern Ghouta fired 12 mortar shells of the 120-mm caliber within the last 24 hours. There are massive damages, one person was killed and nine civilians were injured," Zolotukhin stated.
Militants in Eastern Ghouta plan staging a
chemical attack on March 11 to accuse of it the Syrian governmental forces, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mehdad told reporters on Saturday.
"We have received information that militants in Eastern Ghouta plan staging a chemical attack between Misraba and Bitsava," he said. "For that, the Tahrir al-Sham militants plan killing several women, and we expect this "performance" may take place on March 11."
Comment: The Russian Center for Syrian reconciliation is holding talks with the leaders of the illegal armed units on the withdrawal of the second group of militants from the Damascus' suburb of Eastern Ghouta, the center's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zolotukhin, said. Militants in Eastern Ghouta plan staging a chemical attack on March 11 to accuse of it the Syrian governmental forces, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mehdad told reporters on Saturday.