Kerry, Lavrov speak twice this week as Aleppo bombarded

By Esra Kaymak Avci

WASHINGTON

Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, have spoken twice in as many days, the State Department said Friday.

The conversations have taken place as the civilian death toll from fighting in Aleppo, Syria, has surpassed 100 in the last 72 hours.

State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the agenda for the diplomats was dominated by the situation in Aleppo and Washington and Moscow would maintain a working relationship to achieve a cease-fire.

Kerry and Lavrov met Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Peruvian capital, Lima, according to Kirby.

The State Department has not released information about the meeting nor a "brief conversation" via telephone Friday. The last details of discussing between the men were released at the end of September, according to the agency’s website.

Strained tension between Washington and Moscow increased further when Russia launched coordinated missile strikes against rebels in Syria on Tuesday -- just as the U.S. and Russia were meeting in Geneva to discuss the issue, according to the State Department.

The U.S. said Russia, the supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, hit five hospitals in opposition-held eastern districts of Aleppo since Tuesday and, continues to block humanitarian aid to besieged towns in Syria.

Twelve civilian casualties reported Friday brings the total death toll in Aleppo in the past three days to 106 while nearly 200 others have been also injured from persistent bombardments, Najib al-Ansari, an Aleppo-based civil defense official told Anadolu Agency.

Russia launched an extensive air campaign in Syria at the end of September 2015 to prop up Assad.