A temporary halt in fighting announced by Russia to allow Syrian rebels and residents to leave the besieged eastern parts of Aleppo has gone into effect, with activists reporting a relative calm in the city.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that during the early hours of the 10-hour "humanitarian pause", it recorded no major military action by Syrian and allied forces or by the opposition fighters.
Syrian state TV showed footage from one of the designated corridors with buses parked to transport anyone coming out of eastern Aleppo. Police and Islamic clerics were waiting at the crossing.
By midday, however, the Observatory said no one had used the corridors. The UN estimates that 275,000 people are trapped in the eastern, rebel-held part of the divided city of Aleppo.
Russia's offer of a 10-hour "humanitarian pause," announced earlier this week, has raised speculation that a major offensive may be planned once the pause expires at 7pm local time (4am AEDT).
