UN envoy and Syrian government agree to send fact-finding mission to Aleppo
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Syria's state news agency says the government and the U.N. special envoy have agreed to send a fact-finding mission to the contested northern city of Aleppo.
SANA said late Saturday the decision was made after talks in Damascus between Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura. It did not say when the U.N. team would begin its work in Aleppo.
De Mistura is trying to implement a "freeze" in fighting in the city, which is divided into government- and rebel-held areas. He envisions a local truce as the first step toward a wider easing of hostilities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Syrian government has agreed to suspend airstrikes and artillery shelling in Aleppo for six weeks. The U.N. envoy still needs the armed opposition's support for the plan.