Aleppo: Teams expected to work 'around the clock' as evacuations gather pace under ceasefire

Updated December 16, 2016 19:46:19

Photo: Evacuees from eastern Aleppo disembark from buses upon their arrival in the town of al-Rashideen. (Reuters: Ammar Abdullah)

Evacuations of rebel fighters and civilians, including wounded from the last opposition-held areas of Syria's Aleppo, have gathered pace under a ceasefire that would see the Government retake the city, monitors and a rebel official say.

Key points:

• No sign of evacuations from two villages besieged by rebels in Idlib province
• Aid workers want to keep momentum going because evacuations could take several days, Red Cross spokesman says
• Number of buses doubles to about 50, monitoring group director says

There was no sign, however, of evacuations from two villages besieged by rebels in neighbouring Idlib province, which were expected to be included in the deal.

A senior UN official said up to 50,000 people may still be in the eastern districts, which the rebels had held for four years.

Pawel Krzysiek, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said aid workers wanted to keep the momentum going because the evacuations could take several days.

"So far we managed to carry out four rounds of evacuations — 3,000 people, around 40 wounded," he said.

"The evacuation is ongoing right now. The teams are expected to work around the clock."

More buses used to speed up evacuation process

About 6,000 people had left rebel-held Aleppo in several convoys of buses since Thursday (local time) when the evacuations began, Turkey-based official in the Fastaqim rebel group Zakaria Malahifji said.

The Syria conflict:

• The Syrian civil war is heading into its sixth year
• Bashar al-Assad has been President since July 2000
• An anti-regime uprising started in March 2011 off the back of the Arab Spring
• UN estimates more than 250,000 killed
• Eleven million Syrians displaced
• There are few signs of the conflict ending

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, said the number was closer to 3,000, including around 600 fighters.

"There are a lot of buses now," SOHR director Rami Abdulrahman said.

Russia has been providing road security for the convoys, which have not suffered any fresh attacks, officials said.

A camp to host people evacuated from Aleppo will be set up near the border inside Syria, senior Turkish officials said, adding that Turkey would continue to accept sick and wounded coming from the city.

Two sites, around 3.5 kilometres inside Syria, have been identified as potential locations for the camp, which will have the capacity to host up to 80,000 people, officials said. Around 30,000 to 35,000 people are expected to come.

Russia to pursue talks on nationwide ceasefire

Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would now pursue talks on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria.

Syrian rebel forces weakening

The loss of Aleppo is a major strategic defeat for the rebels, leaving Idlib province as their last stronghold, writes Matt Brown.

Speaking at a news conference during a visit to Japan, Mr Putin said he had agreed with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to hold peace talks on Syria in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

Those talks would be in addition to United Nations brokered talks that have been taking place intermittently in Geneva, Mr Putin said.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in the Government's campaign to retake Aleppo.

The evacuation operation was supposed to begin earlier this week, but stalled on Wednesday amid disputes over the conditions of the deal.

Aleppo had been divided between government and rebel areas of control during the nearly six-year civil war, but a lightning advance by the Syrian army and its allies — which began in mid-November — saw the insurgents lose most of their territory in a matter of weeks.

More on this story:

• Analysis: Idlib province remains the rebels' final stronghold with the fall of Aleppo
• Advancing Syrian forces shooting civilians in their homes, United Nations says
• Aleppo residents post final 'goodbye' messages as Syrian Government forces advance
• Syrian army claims it is in final stages of taking control of Aleppo as rebels retreat
• Syria activists say Islamic State has recaptured Palmyra as clashes in Aleppo continue
• Aleppo politician pleads for safe passage to let residents leave city 'in the name of humanity'
• Russia launches new offensive in Syria as Assad forces resume bombing Aleppo
• All eastern Aleppo hospitals out of service after heavy airstrikes, health directorate says

ABC/Reuters

First posted December 16, 2016 19:01:45

Source : abc[dot]net[dot]au