Report: Russia's Ministry of Defense plans evacuations from Syria's Ghouta

MOSCOW – Russia's Ministry of Defense said on Monday that the Syrian army will suspend strikes on the rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta during a daily five-hour truce, introduced from Tuesday, Interfax news agency said.

Militants in the enclave are holding hundreds hostage, including women and children, RIA news agency quoted the head of Russia's monitoring centre in Syria, Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, as saying.

The centre, together with the Syrian government, will be evacuating the sick and injured from the area, RIA cited him as saying.