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Syrian regime rejects UN truce for Aleppo
The Syrian regime has refused a UN-brokered truce proposal, which would grant the eastern districts of Aleppo "autonomy" and restore calm in the war-torn city.
Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said the state's institutions "must be restored" to the city, once rebels have been expelled from the opposition-controlled eastern districts.
Speaking following a meeting with the UN's Special Envoy Staffan De Mistura, Muallem gave no indication his government would ease its assault on Aleppo's eastern districts in a campaign that has left all hospitals serving the enclave out of service.
Moallem added that the regime wouldn't accept rebel fighters remaining in the in besieged territory, claiming that the 275,000 people of East Aleppo are "hostages to 6,000 gunmen".
"We agreed on the need that terrorists should get out of East Aleppo to end the suffering of the civilians in the city," he said.
De Mistura did not make any remarks following the meeting.
Following scores of dead from barrel bomb and mortar attacks on East Aleppo, the regime claimed eight children were killed in government-held district on Sunday when a rocket hit a school, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported.
Syrian state news reported a teacher was also killed in the barrage that struck the al-Furqan school near the Sabeel neighborhood in Aleppo.
The Observatory said at least 37 civilians have been killed since mid-day Saturday by the regime's artillery and aerial blitz on the besieged eastern enclave.
All food rations have been handed out, while these is little hope of new supplies entering while the regime continues its offensive on the districts.
De Mistura warned in an interview with the UK newspaper The Guardian earlier this week that the regime was chasing a "pyrrhic victory" in Aleppo.
He warned the military's unrestrained approach would drive more moderate rebels into the ranks of the Islamic State group.