The Syrian government and rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad appear to have reached an agreement on allowing humanitarian aid to reach the besieged city of Homs, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
"The issue of humanitarian access to the old city of Homs is being discussed," ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told a news conference.
"Judging by the latest information, it appears that such an agreement between the opposition and the government has already been reached," he said without giving more detail.
The announcement comes as a pro-opposition NGO said that more than 200 people have been killed by barrel bombs in Aleppo.
According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 246 people, including 73 children, were killed by government forces using barrel bombs, which are typically filled with bits of scrap metal.
A video filmed by an Aleppo activist on Tuesday showed the aftermath of an alleged barrel bomb.
Accounts of violence are difficult to verify due to tight media restrictions in Syria, conflicting accounts, and the deteriorating security situation for journalists. More than 100,000 people have died in the three-year conflict.
