Arab League backs call for UN meeting over Aleppo

The Arab League has announced its support for efforts to hold an “emergency meeting" of the UN General Assembly over Aleppo.

The backing was made during an emergency session of permanent representatives of the Arab League in Cairo. The league denounced the Syrian regime and its allies for its “brutal" military operations against the city of Aleppo and its civilian residents.

Recently, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar called for the convening of an emergency exceptional session of the General Assembly of the United Nations to discuss the situation in Syria.

In its resolution, the Arab League called on international community to put pressure on the Syrian regime and work on the opening of safe corridors for civilians trapped in Aleppo.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese delegation said, according to the statement, that it was distancing its support for the draft resolution on the situation in Aleppo, in line with Lebanon's “fence-sitting" policy towards conflicts and its policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.

On Thursday, the first group of people evacuated from Aleppo reached the opposition-controlled safe zone in Syria, according to Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak.

Violence escalated in Aleppo city on Monday when Syrian regime forces advanced into opposition-held parts of eastern parts of the city following a five-month siege and persistent aerial bombardment.

Around 80,000 civilians are believed to have been trapped in these areas.

The Russian-backed regime had been trying to reestablish control over parts of Aleppo captured four years ago by armed opposition groups.

Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since early 2011 when the regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests – which had erupted as part of the Arab Spring uprisings – with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed by the conflict and millions more displaced.