Syrian troops strengthened their hold over Aleppo on Friday after retaking full control of the city, as residents anxious to return to their homes moved through its ruined streets.

The army announced on Thursday it had recaptured the former rebel stronghold of east Aleppo following a landmark evacuation deal that saw thousands of opposition fighters and residents bussed out.

It was the biggest victory for President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces in nearly six years of civil war and a major win for his foreign backers, with key ally Russia hailing the &quot;very important&quot; step.

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Syrians celebrate in Aleppo after the army said it has retaken full control of the country&#39;s second city. (AFP)
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Braving the cold, war-weary residents crossed districts that had become dangerous front lines, eager to return to neighbourhoods they had not seen in years.

An AFP correspondent saw civilians wrapped in coats trekking through the cold, some rolling their belongings on wheelbarrows.

&quot;I came to check on my house, which I haven&#39;t seen in five years,&quot; resident Khaled al-Masri said. &quot;I really hope my home wasn&#39;t badly damaged.&quot;

The evacuation operation ended more than four years of fierce fighting in Aleppo, which had been divided between government forces in the west and rebels in the east since 2012.

Opposition forces still control an area west of Aleppo and at least two civilians were killed Friday in the first rebel rocket fire on the city since it fell under government control, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Seven civilians were also wounded in the fire on the Al-Hamdaniyeh district, the Britain-based monitor said, while state news agency SANA reported three killed.

&#39;Nothing left&#39;

The evacuation agreement was brokered by rebel backer Turkey and regime supporter Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Assad Friday to congratulate him on the &quot;liberation&quot; of Aleppo, the Kremlin said.

&quot;This success was possible thanks to mutual efforts of all who came together in the fight with international terrorism in Syria,&quot; it said.

Earlier, Putin hailed Aleppo&#39;s recapture, calling it a &quot;very important part of the normalisation in Syria&quot;, saying the next step would be &quot;conclusion of a ceasefire agreement on all of Syria&#39;s territory&quot;.

The Kremlin also announced Putin had signed an order to expand Russia&#39;s naval facility in the Syrian city of Tartus, while Russian military police had been despatched to recaptured parts of Aleppo.

&quot;We sent in a battalion of military police yesterday evening to maintain order in the liberated territories,&quot; Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

On Friday morning, government fighters moved into Ansari, Al-Mashhad, and other neighbourhoods they had not entered since mid-2012.

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Heavy snowfall slowed the evacuation of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from eastern Aleppo. (AFP)
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They searched for improvised explosive devices and mines, clearing buildings to prepare the way for civilians to return, the Observatory said. As they finished sweeping through the main streets, soldiers moved into the smaller alleyways to check for bombs, an AFP correspondent in one district said.

In Bustan al-Qasr, a heavily damaged neighbourhood near Aleppo&#39;s famed Old City, bulldozers removed rubble from the streets.

As the army moved through Al-Mayssar district, Umm Abdo, 42, said she had found her former home but it had been destroyed.

&quot;There&#39;s nothing left... but houses can be rebuilt,&quot; she said. Syria&#39;s war transformed Aleppo from the country&#39;s industrial hub to a worldwide symbol of bloodshed and devastation.

The army on Thursday announced &quot;the return of security to Aleppo after its release from terrorism and terrorists&quot;.

&#39;Toughest battles&#39;

The regime victory came after state television said the last convoy of four buses carrying rebels and civilians had left east Aleppo and arrived in the government-controlled Ramussa district south of the city.

The evacuation deal, overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Red Crescent, put an end to a month-long offensive waged on Aleppo&#39;s east by pro-government forces.

The assault was backed by pro-government militia, including powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.

In a televised speech on Friday, Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah said the army&#39;s win in Aleppo put an end to any hopes Assad&#39;s regime would collapse.

&quot;After Aleppo, one can comfortably say that the goal of regime downfall has failed,&quot; Nasrallah said.

He described the fight for Aleppo as &quot;one of the toughest battles that the region has seen in years.&quot;

The ICRC said the evacuation operation had seen 35,000 people bussed out of Aleppo and another 1,200 evacuated from Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite-majority towns in north-west Syria besieged by rebels.

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Members of the Saint Elias Cathedral committee inspect the damage inside east Aleppo&#39;s crumbling church. (AFP)
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Nearly six years in, the conflict has killed more than 310,000 people and displaced half of Syria&#39;s pre-war population.

As well as a major strategic gain for Assad, the army&#39;s win in Aleppo has put the spotlight on the role of powerbrokers Russia, Iran and Turkey, which agreed this week to guarantee new peace talks and backed expanding a ceasefire.

Repeated attempts at peace for Syria have failed, but UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has said he hopes to convene fresh talks in Geneva in February.

In other violence, the Islamic State group killed 27 Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in a series of attacks near the ancient city of Palmyra in the past 24 hours, the Observatory said.

(AFP)

The army announced on Thursday it had recaptured the former rebel stronghold of east Aleppo

Syrian troops strengthened their hold over Aleppo on Friday after retaking full control of the city, as residents anxious to return to their homes moved through its ruined streets. The army announced on Thursday it had recaptured the former rebel stronghold of east Aleppo following a landmark evacuation deal that saw thousands of opposition fighters and residents bussed out. It was the biggest victory for President Bashar al-Assad's forces in nearly six years of civil war and a major win for his foreign backers, with key ally Russia hailing the "very important" step. Syrians celebrate in Aleppo after the army said it has retaken full control of the country's second city. (AFP) × Braving the cold, war-weary residents crossed districts that had become dangerous front lines, eager to return to neighbourhoods they had not seen in years. An AFP correspondent saw civilians wrapped in coats trekking through the cold, some rolling their belongings on wheelbarrows. "I came to check on my house, which I haven't seen in five years," resident Khaled al-Masri said. "I really hope my home wasn't badly damaged." The evacuation operation ended more than four years of fierce fighting in Aleppo, which had been divided between government forces in the west and rebels in the east since 2012. Opposition forces still control an area west of Aleppo and at least two civilians were killed Friday in the first rebel rocket fire on the city since it fell under government control, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Seven civilians were also wounded in the fire on the Al-Hamdaniyeh district, the Britain-based monitor said, while state news agency SANA reported three killed. 'Nothing left' The evacuation agreement was brokered by rebel backer Turkey and regime supporter Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Assad Friday to congratulate him on the "liberation" of Aleppo, the Kremlin said. "This success was possible thanks to mutual efforts of all who came together in the fight with international terrorism in Syria," it said. Earlier, Putin hailed Aleppo's recapture, calling it a "very important part of the normalisation in Syria", saying the next step would be "conclusion of a ceasefire agreement on all of Syria's territory". The Kremlin also announced Putin had signed an order to expand Russia's naval facility in the Syrian city of Tartus, while Russian military police had been despatched to recaptured parts of Aleppo. "We sent in a battalion of military police yesterday evening to maintain order in the liberated territories," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said. On Friday morning, government fighters moved into Ansari, Al-Mashhad, and other neighbourhoods they had not entered since mid-2012. Heavy snowfall slowed the evacuation of thousands of civilians and rebel fighters from eastern Aleppo. (AFP) × They searched for improvised explosive devices and mines, clearing buildings to prepare the way for civilians to return, the Observatory said. As they finished sweeping through the main streets, soldiers moved into the smaller alleyways to check for bombs, an AFP correspondent in one district said. In Bustan al-Qasr, a heavily damaged neighbourhood near Aleppo's famed Old City, bulldozers removed rubble from the streets. As the army moved through Al-Mayssar district, Umm Abdo, 42, said she had found her former home but it had been destroyed. "There's nothing left... but houses can be rebuilt," she said. Syria's war transformed Aleppo from the country's industrial hub to a worldwide symbol of bloodshed and devastation. The army on Thursday announced "the return of security to Aleppo after its release from terrorism and terrorists". 'Toughest battles' The regime victory came after state television said the last convoy of four buses carrying rebels and civilians had left east Aleppo and arrived in the government-controlled Ramussa district south of the city. The evacuation deal, overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Red Crescent, put an end to a month-long offensive waged on Aleppo's east by pro-government forces. The assault was backed by pro-government militia, including powerful Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah. In a televised speech on Friday, Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah said the army's win in Aleppo put an end to any hopes Assad's regime would collapse. "After Aleppo, one can comfortably say that the goal of regime downfall has failed," Nasrallah said. He described the fight for Aleppo as "one of the toughest battles that the region has seen in years." The ICRC said the evacuation operation had seen 35,000 people bussed out of Aleppo and another 1,200 evacuated from Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite-majority towns in north-west Syria besieged by rebels. Members of the Saint Elias Cathedral committee inspect the damage inside east Aleppo's crumbling church. (AFP) × Nearly six years in, the conflict has killed more than 310,000 people and displaced half of Syria's pre-war population. As well as a major strategic gain for Assad, the army's win in Aleppo has put the spotlight on the role of powerbrokers Russia, Iran and Turkey, which agreed this week to guarantee new peace talks and backed expanding a ceasefire. Repeated attempts at peace for Syria have failed, but UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has said he hopes to convene fresh talks in Geneva in February. In other violence, the Islamic State group killed 27 Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in a series of attacks near the ancient city of Palmyra in the past 24 hours, the Observatory said. (AFP)

Syria army, civilians reclaim ruined Aleppo streets

At least 25,000 people have left the bombed-out eastern districts of Syria&#39;s Aleppo since evacuations began last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday.

&quot;Yesterday (Monday) only, we evacuated 15,000 people from east Aleppo. If we consider those evacuated on Thursday too, then the total should be 25,000,&quot; spokeswoman Ingy Sedky told AFP.

She said &quot;thousands&quot; of others were still waiting to be bussed out, amid a lack of information on the numbers of civilians and fighters remaining in east Aleppo.

The ICRC has been overseeing the complex evacuation deal for Aleppo, brokered by government backer Russia and rebel supporter Turkey,&nbsp;

After a month-long assault by government forces, thousands of civilians and rebels left the last remaining opposition-held districts of east Aleppo last Thursday at the start of the evacuations.

The deal was suspended until early Monday over government demands for the simultaneous evacuation of two Shiite-majority villages in northwest Syria besieged by rebels.&nbsp;

Sedky confirmed that 750 people had thus far been bussed out of the villages of Fuaa and Kafraya, in Syria&#39;s mainly rebel-held Idlib province, as part of the deal.&nbsp;

More than 310,000 people have been killed since Syria&#39;s conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

(AFP)

Red Cross spokeswoman Ingy Sedky told AFP 15,000 people were evacuated from east Aleppo on Monday alone

At least 25,000 people have left the bombed-out eastern districts of Syria's Aleppo since evacuations began last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday. "Yesterday (Monday) only, we evacuated 15,000 people from east Aleppo. If we consider those evacuated on Thursday too, then the total should be 25,000," spokeswoman Ingy Sedky told AFP. She said "thousands" of others were still waiting to be bussed out, amid a lack of information on the numbers of civilians and fighters remaining in east Aleppo. The ICRC has been overseeing the complex evacuation deal for Aleppo, brokered by government backer Russia and rebel supporter Turkey, After a month-long assault by government forces, thousands of civilians and rebels left the last remaining opposition-held districts of east Aleppo last Thursday at the start of the evacuations. The deal was suspended until early Monday over government demands for the simultaneous evacuation of two Shiite-majority villages in northwest Syria besieged by rebels. Sedky confirmed that 750 people had thus far been bussed out of the villages of Fuaa and Kafraya, in Syria's mainly rebel-held Idlib province, as part of the deal. More than 310,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. (AFP)

25,000 evacuated from Aleppo so far: Red Cross

Nearly 50 children who were trapped in an orphanage in the rebel-held Syrian enclave of east Aleppo were evacuated on Monday, some critically injured or dehydrated, the United Nations Children&#39;s Fund (UNICEF) said.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) evacuated the orphans from eastern Aleppo, along with facility staff who have been caring for them, ICRC spokeswoman Krista Armstrong said.

&quot;They were given priority and were the first to be evacuated by bus when the operation resumed,&quot; Armstrong said, adding that she could not provide an exact figure yet.

Earlier, Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director, said in a statement that all 47 children trapped in the orphanage were evacuated to safety, &quot;with some in critical condition from injuries and dehydration&quot;.

UNICEF and other agencies were also assisting in reunifying other children evacuated in the past few days with their families and giving them medical care and winter clothes, he said.

(Reuters)

'They were given priority and were the first to be evacuated by bus when the operation resumed,' said an ICRC spokeswoman

Nearly 50 children who were trapped in an orphanage in the rebel-held Syrian enclave of east Aleppo were evacuated on Monday, some critically injured or dehydrated, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) evacuated the orphans from eastern Aleppo, along with facility staff who have been caring for them, ICRC spokeswoman Krista Armstrong said. "They were given priority and were the first to be evacuated by bus when the operation resumed," Armstrong said, adding that she could not provide an exact figure yet. Earlier, Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director, said in a statement that all 47 children trapped in the orphanage were evacuated to safety, "with some in critical condition from injuries and dehydration". UNICEF and other agencies were also assisting in reunifying other children evacuated in the past few days with their families and giving them medical care and winter clothes, he said. (Reuters)

47 children evacuated from Aleppo orphanage, some in critical shape: UN

The UN Security Council will vote Sunday on a French proposal to send observers to the flashpoint Syrian city of Aleppo to monitor evacuations and report on the protection of civilians, diplomats said.

The council will meet at 10:00 am (1500 GMT) to decide on the draft resolution, despite resistance from Russia, Syria&#39;s ally and a veto-wielding Security Council member.

France circulated a draft text late Friday stating that the council is &quot;alarmed&quot; by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and by the fact that &quot;tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants&quot; are in need of aid and evacuation.

Thousands of trapped civilians and the last remaining opposition fighters in Aleppo were waiting for evacuations to resume on Saturday, a day after the operation was suspended by the Syrian government.

Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012.

French ambassador Francois Delattre said the international presence prevents Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars.

&quot;Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations,&quot; Delattre told AFP.&nbsp;

The draft resolution would request that UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon quickly redeploy UN humanitarian staff already in Syria to the city &quot;to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo,&quot; according to a copy of the text obtained by AFP.

Ban would also ensure the deployment of further staff, according to the draft text, which demands that Syria grant access to the observers.

The UN chief would report to the council within five days on whether access has been granted by the Syrian government, which has repeatedly blocked UN access during the nearly six-year war.

Protecting hospitals

Evacuations were expected to resume under a new deal that would allow civilians and fighters in other besieged towns to leave, according to rebel officials, but the Damascus government made no announcements.

The draft resolution would seek to ensure the &quot;voluntary, safe and dignified passage of all civilians&quot; from Aleppo and other areas under UN monitoring and coordination, with priority given to the wounded and most vulnerable.

It demands the protection of all doctors, medical workers, hospitals and ambulances following reports that Syrian forces had bombed all of the medical facilities in Aleppo.

The text specifically mentions the need to protect the border hospitals of Atmeh, Darkoush, Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salamah, where many of the evacuees would be taken.

The council would also demand that urgent humanitarian aid reach Aleppo, which has been under siege since July.

US ambassador Samantha Power said Friday that the observers on the ground would provide a &quot;presence as protection.&quot;

But Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he found elements of the French proposal &quot;questionable&quot;, including whether the observers could be quickly redeployed.

Ban has urged Syrian parties to resume the evacuation operation and allow civilians to leave safely, saying &quot;Aleppo is now a synonym for hell&quot;.

(AFP)

The council will meet at 11 am (1600 GMT) to decide on the draft resolution, despite resistance from Russia, Syria's ally

The UN Security Council will vote Sunday on a French proposal to send observers to the flashpoint Syrian city of Aleppo to monitor evacuations and report on the protection of civilians, diplomats said. The council will meet at 10:00 am (1500 GMT) to decide on the draft resolution, despite resistance from Russia, Syria's ally and a veto-wielding Security Council member. France circulated a draft text late Friday stating that the council is "alarmed" by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and by the fact that "tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants" are in need of aid and evacuation. Thousands of trapped civilians and the last remaining opposition fighters in Aleppo were waiting for evacuations to resume on Saturday, a day after the operation was suspended by the Syrian government. Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012. French ambassador Francois Delattre said the international presence prevents Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars. "Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations," Delattre told AFP. The draft resolution would request that UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon quickly redeploy UN humanitarian staff already in Syria to the city "to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo," according to a copy of the text obtained by AFP. Ban would also ensure the deployment of further staff, according to the draft text, which demands that Syria grant access to the observers. The UN chief would report to the council within five days on whether access has been granted by the Syrian government, which has repeatedly blocked UN access during the nearly six-year war. Protecting hospitals Evacuations were expected to resume under a new deal that would allow civilians and fighters in other besieged towns to leave, according to rebel officials, but the Damascus government made no announcements. The draft resolution would seek to ensure the "voluntary, safe and dignified passage of all civilians" from Aleppo and other areas under UN monitoring and coordination, with priority given to the wounded and most vulnerable. It demands the protection of all doctors, medical workers, hospitals and ambulances following reports that Syrian forces had bombed all of the medical facilities in Aleppo. The text specifically mentions the need to protect the border hospitals of Atmeh, Darkoush, Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salamah, where many of the evacuees would be taken. The council would also demand that urgent humanitarian aid reach Aleppo, which has been under siege since July. US ambassador Samantha Power said Friday that the observers on the ground would provide a "presence as protection." But Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he found elements of the French proposal "questionable", including whether the observers could be quickly redeployed. Ban has urged Syrian parties to resume the evacuation operation and allow civilians to leave safely, saying "Aleppo is now a synonym for hell". (AFP)

UN Security Council to vote on Sunday on Aleppo observers

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Syria army, civilians reclaim ruined Aleppo streets

25,000 evacuated from Aleppo so far: Red Cross

47 children evacuated from Aleppo orphanage, some in critical shape: UN

UN Security Council to vote on Sunday on Aleppo observers