Turkey says its warplanes struck Syrian Kurdish militia targets in northern Syria, killing as many as 200 militia members.

Turkish media quoted military officials Thursday as saying the raids were carried out late Wednesday night on 18 targets in Maarrat Umm Hawsh, a region north of the city of Aleppo.

The airstrikes came ahead of a unilateral cease-fire by the Syrian army Thursday to allow civilians and rebels to leave the besieged eastern part of Aleppo.

The pause in fighting is supposed to continue until at least 7 p.m. local time, though The Syrian army has said it will last for three days.

As part of the truce, the Syrian army has opened up eight corridors civilians can use to safely exit the city. Two of those corridors have also been opened up to rebel fighters who wish to lay down their weapons and flee; one leading to Turkey and the other a pathway to the rebel-held province of Idlib.

The United Nations said Russia’s extension of a truce in Aleppo is not enough time to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to besieged civilians.

“Before we can do something really meaningful … we need assurances from all parties,” said U.N. humanitarian agency spokesman Jens Laerke. He said the United Nations needs fighting to stop for “a minimum of 48 hours” to allow UN humanitarian aid teams to mobilize.

The United Nations said about 250,000 civilians are in desperate need of supplies on Aleppo’s eastern side and hundreds of others who urgently need of medical care also need to be evacuated.

U.N. and Red Cross trucks packed with supplies have been sitting near the Turkish border for weeks, awaiting guarantees the trucks can safely deliver relief supplies.

Syria and Russia halted airstrikes on Aleppo on Tuesday.

Syrian and Russians warplanes had been bombarding the area in an attempt to reclaim Aleppo from rebels.
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