President Vladimir Putin has ordered a 10-hour truce on Friday in the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo, the Russian defense ministry said.

“A decision was made to introduce a ‘humanitarian pause’ in Aleppo on November 4 from 9:00 am (0600 GMT) to 19:00,” the chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov said in a statement on Wednesday.

Gerasimov said the decision was approved by Syrian authorities and was meant to “prevent senseless casualties” by allowing civilians and militants to quit eastern Aleppo.

He said eight corridors — six for civilians and two for militants — could be used for this.

The insurgents launched a major assault Friday to break the siege of Aleppo but have been met this week by fierce resistance from the Syrian army.

Defense ministry Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that Russia had ceased air strikes on eastern Aleppo for 16 days.

The halt in bombing was initially declared ahead of a short ceasefire that ended last month.

Shoigu accused the US-led coalition of failing to rein in Takfiri militants and said that the chances of a political settlement to the crisis were now remote.

Source: AFP