No facts that ’Syrian army’ withdrew from Castello - Pentagon

A Pentagon spokesman said on Thursday he did not have "intelligence or facts" to indicate the "Syrian army" has begun withdrawing from Castello Road, a step needed to allow the delivery of humanitarian supplies to eastern Aleppo, Reuters reported.

Shortly after a Russian general said that "Syrian army" had begun a staged withdrawal of troops and vehicles from the road, the Pentagon spoke via its spokesperson.

"I do not have right here intelligence and facts right now that would say one way or the other whether or not they’ve done it," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a news briefing.

“We are certainly aware that not all the terms here including most specifically the delivery of humanitarian assistance have been met at this particular moment in time,” Cook said regarding Assad regime’s blockade of humanitarian access to besieged Aleppo.

“We think there’s obviously an obligation for the Syrian regime … They have an obligation, of course, to allow that assistance to flow,” Cook added.

The Pentagon official said that Assad regime not honoring its obligations is considered an "impediment" to humanitarian assistance.

Pentagon’s spokesperson also said that the US would look to the Russians, given their “leverage” over Assad regime and their communications with it, to "as quickly as possible remove those impediments," and allow humanitarian aid to flow, describing that as “one of the key goals”.

It is worthy to remind that the US-Russia brokered truce deal, which was reached to last Friday, stipulates cessation of hostilities and allowing aid to enter the regime-besieged areas in Aleppo and across Syria.