Putin orders ‘humanitarian corridor’ in Syria’s Ghouta

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the implementation of a daily ceasefire in Syria’s eastern Ghouta, starting on Tuesday, and the creation of a “humanitarian corridor” via which civilians can leave, his defence minister was quoted as saying.

The minister, Sergei Shoigu, said the ceasefire would run from 09:00 until 14:00 local time daily, RIA news agency reported. He said details on the location of the corridor would be released soon.

Fresh strikes on Syria’s Ghouta enclave kill 10: monitor: Fresh bombardment by the Syrian regime on Monday killed at least 10 civilians in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, including nine members of a same family, a monitor said.

Air strikes destroyed a building in Douma, the main town in the Eastern Ghouta area east of Damascus, and buried alive an entire family, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.“Nine civilians from a same family were killed in regime air strikes in Douma, after midnight,” the head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said. “Some of the bodies are still stuck in the rubble,” he said. An AFP correspondent in Douma said the bombardment had been very heavy overnight and impeded rescuers in their work.

Russia blasts ‘bogus’ reports of Syria chemical attack: Moscow on Monday said reports of an alleged chemical attack on Syria’s rebel-held Eastern Ghouta were planted “bogus stories” and insisted armed groups attacked by regime forces there were terrorist allies.

“There are already bogus stories in the media that yesterday chlorine was used in Eastern Ghouta, citing an anonymous individual living in the United States,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press-conference.

A child died and at least 13 other people suffered breathing difficulties in a village in the Eastern Ghouta region after the suspected chemical attack Sunday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a medic who treated those affected.