29 Mar 2024
Saturday 3 December 2016 - 11:34
Story Code : 241272

Lavrov: Creation of 'army of Aleppo' could just be rebranding of al-Nusra front

Sputnik- Opposition behind the creation of the so-called "Army of Aleppo" in the eastern part of the city could seek to rebrand al-Nusra Front terrorists and shield them, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday at a joint press conference with his Italian colleague Paolo Gentiloni.

"I do not rule outthat this is just another attempt torebrand al-Nusra Front and shield it fromrighteous retaliation," he said. Lavrov said that almost all armed groups inEastern Aleppo (where the so-called "Army ofAleppo" was formed) are controlled by al-Nusra Front.

"As I have already mentioned, according toour intelligence,practically all armed opposition groups ineastern Aleppo report toal-Nusra Front. Nusra has some 1,500 militants there, while other groups underits command have upto 6,000 militants," Lavrov stressed. Political forces that put forward ultimatums and demand the ouster ofSyrian President Bashar Assad have been blocking the intra-Syrian reconciliation talks formore thansix months, Lavrov said.

"Unfortunately, formore thanhalf a year the talks are being blocked bythose who, inviolation ofthe UNSC resolution, put forward ultimatums inthe form ofan absolute precondition tooust President Assad, which is, certainly, unacceptable, because these demands are not part ofthe concluded agreements," Lavrov told reporters. Syria has been ina state ofcivil war since2011, withgovernment forces fighting the Syrian opposition groups striving tooverthrow President Bashar Assad. In parallel, Damascus has tocounter numerous terrorist groups, inparticular, al-Nusra Front and Daesh.

Russia still supports the proposal byUN Special Envoy forSyria Staffan de Mistura onthe withdrawal ofmilitants fromEastern Aleppo, Lavrov said. "De Mistura proposed allowing all terrorists toleave Eastern Aleppo, we, despitethe idea's controversy, supported it and were ready tocooperate withit," he said. "The idea was blocked bythose who, we are convinced, are interested inEastern Aleppo remaining underthe control ofterrorists.

We are still ready forwhat de Mistura said," he said. Speaking ofthe clearing ofthe Castello Road ofmines, Lavrov said that "after the liberation ofa considerable part ofEastern Aleppo, there are no more threats ofattacks onhumanitarian convoys that will travel alongthat road."
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