Assad offers rebels amnesty in exchange of Aleppo

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad offered on Thursday for rebels in Aleppo to leave with their families if they lay down their arms, while vowing to press on with the assault on Syria's largest city and recapture full control of the country.

The offer of amnesty follows two weeks of the heaviest bombardment of the five-and-a-half-year civil war, which has killed hundreds of people trapped inside Aleppo's rebel-held eastern sector.

Fighters have accepted similar government amnesty offers in other besieged areas in recent months, such as Daraya. However, according to Reuters news agency, rebels said they had no plan to evacuate Aleppo, the last major urban area they control, and denounced the amnesty offer as a deception.

"It's impossible for the rebel groups to leave Aleppo because this would be a trick by the regime," Turkey-based official Zakaria Malahifji said. "Aleppo is not like other areas, it's not possible for them to surrender."

"For them to suggest that somehow they're now looking out for the interests of civilians is outrageous," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, citing the heavy civilian toll from air strikes and bombardment.

The army announced a reduction in shelling and air strikes on Wednesday to allow people to leave, warning, however that "all those who do not take advantage of the provided opportunity to lay down their arms or to leave will face their inevitable fate."