MOSCOW (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov – On Monday, the United Nations announced that more than 450 civilians had been evacuated from areas besieged by militants in Syria under a ceasefire deal reached with the government. They were evacuated by land and air through Turkey and Lebanon to agreed final destinations where urgent medical assistance could be provided if needed.
"We do not announce these operations in advance. For security reasons we communicate about them when they have taken place," Laerke said.
Earlier in December, Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and opposition forces reached a conditional ceasefire agreement under the aegis of the UN in al-Waer, a Homs city district that has been occupied by the militants since 2012.
"This is considered as a good example of what is possible to do in Syria. Of course, we would welcome if it could be repeated in other places, if it could happen more frequently," Laerke added.
