Armed groups operating in Syria ruled out on Monday a pullout from east Aleppo despite sweeping government advances, after Moscow announced it would hold talks with Washington on their withdrawal from the city.

The Syrian army and its allied forces have seized two-thirds of east Aleppo and continued to advance on Monday, pounding remaining terrorist-held territory.

“During the Russian-American consultations, the concrete route and timeframe for the withdrawal of all fighters from eastern Aleppo will be agreed upon,” he said, indicating the talks in Geneva would likely start on Tuesday or Wednesday.

“As soon as these routes and timeframes are agreed on, a ceasefire can come into effect,” Lavrov said.

However, Yasser al-Youssef of the Nureddine al-Zinki in Aleppo said the armed groups would reject any plan that involved the withdrawal of gunmen from the city, stating that any proposals “for the exit of rebel groups would be unacceptable.”

“The revolutionaries will not leave Aleppo and will fight the Russian and Iranian occupation until the last drop of blood,” said Abu Abdel Rahman al-Hamawi of the Army of Islam, another terrorist group, in reference to the armed mercenaries supported and trained by western and regional countries, including US, France, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and others.

Source: Agencies