DAMASCUS, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Three rebel groups in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta pledged Tuesday to drive out the al-Qaida-linked groups from that region during a 15-day timeframe in an obvious bid to halt the government forces' operations against Eastern Ghouta.
In a statement circulated by opposition activists, the Islam Army, Ahrar al-Sham Movement and Failq al-Rahman group have pledged to the UN Security Council and the UN to drive out the al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee (LLC), previously known as Nusra Front, as well as their families and affiliates out of Eastern Ghouta within 15 days.
The signatories also vowed to facilitate the work of the UN humanitarian work in terms of the entry of humanitarian and medical aid to areas in Eastern Ghouta.
In return, the rebel factions called for "actual halt" of all military operations by the Syrian army and the Russians in that rebel-held region east of Damascus.
It also demanded a safe exit for the sick and wounded to hospitals in nearby countries or areas out of the Syrian government control inside Syria.
This announcement comes as Russian side has called for a daily humanitarian pause in Damascus and designated a crossing for the evacuation of civilians from Eastern Ghouta into government-controlled areas in Damascus.
The humanitarian pause entered into effect at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) on Tuesday and is designed to continue until 2 p.m. in the conflict-torn area on a daily basis for 30 days.
However, no civilians evacuated on Tuesday, the first day of the humanitarian pause, with government and rebels trading accusations.
The state TV said the rebels fired five mortar shells at the Wafidin crossing between Damascus and Eastern Ghouta, adding that five women were wounded.
The opposition activists, meanwhile, said the Syrian airstrikes and shelling continued to target Eastern Ghouta during the five-hour-long humanitarian pause on Tuesday.
The humanitarian pause comes just days after the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2401, which requires all parties in Syria to immediately cease clashes and provide a sustained humanitarian break for at least 30 days.
But terror-designated groups such as the Islamic State (IS) and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front are excluded from the resolution, as the battles against them continue.
The UN organizations have already sounded the alarm about the situation in Eastern Ghouta, where 400,000 people are believed to be trapped in the sprawling area east of Damascus.
The military showdown started to intensify between the Syrian army and rebels 10 days ago, with mortar shells from rebels hitting Damascus while the Syrian forces continued their massive bombardment against rebel positions in Eastern Ghouta.
