that are in that area. and also you can see i hope in the distance the black banner of isis still flying. now, this is the third time the u.s. backed syrian democratic forces have tried to clear this small patch of land, the last bit of what was the so-called islamic state that stretched from the outskirts of baghdad to allepo in western syria. but at this point it is not clear if they are also going to call another halt to the fighting to allow some civilians out of this last encampment that isis holds. we were actually just on the edge of the encampment yesterday an hour before the offensive began. and i can tell you, it was hairy. gun fighting hitting around the corner from us because there is a sniper in an isis building just 200 meters from where we
the syrian white helmets, a volunteer organization, frantically working around the clock to try to save as many lives as they can in allepo. those white helmets have been on the front lines of the year s long civil war, they are the focus of an extraordinary documentary called the last men in allepo. joining me now is the director. and as we sit here today, the tragedy in ghouta with hundreds and hundreds of people being killed in this community, a rebel stronghold in the outskirts of damascus which was hit with chemical weapons four years ago and a thousand or more people died. as you try to tell these stories, what hope do you have that the rest of the word will ever respond? well, i m not optimistic. that what we try to tell through the stoerd of a lry of allen po
president donald trump saying he would like a closer relationship with russia when it comes to fighting isis. but over the past when you talk about russia s involvement in syria, it has been to back syrian president assad and focusing in on those cities like allepo, russia has been criticized for many civilian casualties. the united states has been focusing on other aspects in syria. would it be a conflict for the united states working closer together with russia on the issue of terrorism? it s worth noting that almost every united states president has wanted a more positive and closer relationship with russia, but ideologically, the two countries see things very differently and these are the words of secretary of state rex tillerson. so whether or not that will actually be able to happen remains to be seen. and it s also worth mentioning that many republican lawmakers
u.s. secretary of state john kerry meeting russia s foreign minister lavrov. if the humanitarian situation would be dealt with more feskt effectively and if indeed we could create a framework for the passage of people out of allepo so that allepo stifl might be ab relieved from this agony that could open up the space to perhaps be able to start some kind of conversation in geneva. reporter: even as its air force pounds rebel positions, russia says it s still committed to a political solution in syria. translator: there is no military solution to the syrian conflict. we supported this position within the framework of the international syria support group. unfortunately, not all of its members were ready to support this common position, that there is no military solution.
back in. but thank you so much. in allepo, they say they have a new alliance to take on regime forces. it appears to be a last ditch effort though aimed at repelling and crushing government assaults. fred pleitgen has more from damascus. reporter: another day, more violence in allepo. the youngest suffering the most. this video from the syrian civil defense showing rescuers saving a child after a suspected air strike. the fighting claiming at least 45 lives on wednesday alone according to monitoring groups. over 30,000 people, mostly children, have been displaced since government forces launched a large scale offensive making sweeping gains in the east of allepo the u.n. says. in rome, efforts continue to try it on broker some sort of truce and delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged areas.