The Russian military on Tuesday accused rebels in Syria's eastern Ghouta of raining mortar fire down on an evacuation route opened to allow civilians to leave the conflict zone, the TASS news agency reported.

Not a single civilian had been able to leave the area via the corridor as a result, TASS cited theRussian military as saying.

Russia, which backs the Syrian government, ordered a daily truce from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (0700 GMT to 1200 GMT) and the creation of a "humanitarian corridor" to let civilians leave the area, the last major rebel stronghold near Damascus.