Ceasefire in Aleppo extended for 48 hours: Syrian army
(last modified Tue, 10 May 2016 06:08:29 GMT )
May 10, 2016 06:08 UTC
  • A Takfiri terrorist prepares to fire artillery during clashes with Syrian forces outside the city of Aleppo, May 5, 2016.
    A Takfiri terrorist prepares to fire artillery during clashes with Syrian forces outside the city of Aleppo, May 5, 2016.

A fragile ceasefire in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo and its surroundings has been extended for another 48 hours, the Syrian army says.

"The extension of the ‘regime of calm’ in Aleppo and its countryside for a period of 48 hours will be from Tuesday 01:00 a.m. (2200 GMT on Monday) until midnight on Wednesday," the military said in a statement.

The army announced on May 4 that a 48-hour ceasefire in Aleppo would go into effect at 01:00 a.m. on Thursday (2200 GMT on Wednesday). It was later extended for 72 hours.

Aleppo, war-hit Syria’s second-largest city, has been divided between government forces in the west and militants in the east since 2012, a year after the conflict broke out in the country.

The extension of the Aleppo truce came hours after Russia and the United States agreed to extend a broader ceasefire, dubbed the “cessation of the hostilities” agreement, across the whole of the Arab country.

“We have decided to reconfirm our commitment to the CoH (cessation of hostilities) in Syria and to intensify efforts to ensure its nationwide implementation. We also intend to enhance efforts to promote humanitarian assistance to all people in need," said a joint US-Russian statement.

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