Kerry Calls on Syrian Opposition in Aleppo to Make First Step toward Peace
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US Secretary of State John Kerry urged armed Syrian opposition in Aleppo to make the first step toward a peace settlement.
The resolution of the situation in Aleppo will not bring a political setllement of the Syrian crisis any closer, Kerry told reporters in Paris after a meeting of countries opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
He stressed that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria, Sputnik reported.
Earlier on Saturday, the Defense Ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said that Russia's center for Syrian reconciliation helped nearly 50,000 civilians leave Eastern Aleppo in the past two days.
On Saturday alone over 20,000 individuals left the city and 1,217 militants laid down their arms, he said.
Aleppo has been a major battleground in Syria in recent months, engaging government forces and numerous opposition groups. Over the past three weeks, the Syrian troops and allied militia have liberated over 80 percent of the territory of eastern Aleppo, which was captured by militants in 2012.
