Russia and the Syrian army on Wednesday told anti-government rebels in Aleppo to leave by Friday evening, signaling an extended moratorium on air strikes in the city.
The Russian Defence Ministry, which is helping forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad to retake full control of Aleppo, said rebels would be allowed to exit the city unharmed and with their weapons between 0900 and 1900 local time on Nov. 4 via two special corridors.
Civilians and the sick and wounded would be allowed to leave via six other corridors, it said.
The Syrian army released a similar statement later in the day calling on rebel fighters to cease fire and to "use this opportunity" to leave the city with their small arms.
Rebels rejected the calls, an official in an Aleppo-based insurgent group sai
"This is completely out of the question. We will not give up the city of Aleppo to the Russians and we won't surrender," Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group told Reuters.
He denied there were corridors guaranteeing safe passage and said civilians did not trust the government side.
President Vladimir Putin had ordered the pause in fighting "to avoid senseless victims", Russia's Defence Ministry said, adding that Syrian authorities would ensure its troops pulled back from the two corridors designated for rebels.