A member of the political committee of the Syrian Coalition of rebel groups, Osama Taljo, said that rebel and Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters offered the amnesty as a measure to protect civilians in Aleppo.
“Taljo pointed out that the rebel and FSA groups are doing all they can to protect civilians, civilian facilities and infrastructure in the city in cooperation with the opposition’s provincial council in Aleppo,” stated the Syrian Coalition on their website. “He added that these facilities will be put at the disposal of the interim government to resume the provision of services to residents of the city.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported “violent clashes” between government and rebel forces in Aleppo and the death of at least one rebel fighter.
Rebel groups launched an operation on Sunday to break a government siege on eastern Aleppo.
Children set fire to tires to create a smokescreen in order to prevent Syrian and Russian airstrikes on the rebel positions, for which a resident of Aleppo apologized.
In a video shared on social media, a man standing in front of burning tires, wearing a breathing mask, apologized to environmentalists for the pollution. “We’re very sorry, please forgive us,” he said. “But you have all turned your backs on the Syrian people. You’ve let us down in creating a no-fly zone, and this has forced us to do this.”
Government forces cut off the rebels’ last route in and out of eastern Aleppo, Castello Road, in mid-July, effectively placing an estimated 275,000 people under siege with dwindling food supplies.
Russia announced last week that the Syrian army would open humanitarian corridors to allow civilians and unarmed fighters to leave the area. Last week, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad offered an amnesty for rebels who surrendered within three months.
