Russia, Syria halts Aleppo air strikes

Moscow yesterday announced that Russian and Syrian air forces have stopped bombing Aleppo ahead of a brief truce, a move the Kremlin said showed "goodwill" as it faces mounting criticism for backing a brutal regime offensive.

It comes a day after Russia said there would be an eight-hour "humanitarian pause" in the battered city today, a move welcomed by the United Nations and the European Union which nevertheless said the ceasefire needed to be longer to allow the delivery of aid.

However, the US State Department voiced scepticism regarding Moscow's latest initiative while welcoming a halt in the bombing.

The West has expressed increasing alarm at the situation in Aleppo, saying the ferocious Russian-backed onslaught on the rebel-held east could amount to a war crime.

"Strikes in the Aleppo region by the Russian and Syrian air forces are stopping today starting at 10:00 am," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised briefing.

"This guarantees the security of civilians' exit through six corridors and prepares the evacuation of the sick and injured from eastern Aleppo," he said, adding that it would also guarantee safe passage for armed rebels to leave eastern Aleppo.

The UN said it was waiting for safety assurances from all sides before going in with "critical humanitarian assistance" for Aleppo's desperate population.

The brutal government offensive against eastern Aleppo -- which has destroyed hospitals and other civilian infrastructure -- has plunged Syria into some of the worst violence of the five-year war that has claimed over 300,000 lives.