A new deal has been reached to complete the evacuation of rebel-held areas of east Aleppo which had stalled over demands from pro-government forces that two villages besieged by rebels also be evacuated, a Syrian rebel told news channel al-Arabiya al-Hadath on Saturday.

Rebel official al-Farouk Abu Bakr, speaking from Aleppo, said the deal comprised an evacuation from the two Shi&#39;ite villages besieged by insurgents, the evacuation of wounded people from two towns besieged by pro-government forces near the Lebanese border, and the full evacuation of rebel-held eastern Aleppo.

The villages of al-Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province are besieged by insurgents. The towns of Madaya and Zabadani are blockaded by pro-government forces.

On Friday, the second day of the operation to evacuate fighters and civilians from the last opposition-held area of Aleppo was suspended after pro-government militias demanded that wounded people also be brought out of al-Foua and Kefraya, and protesters blocked the road out of Aleppo.

The chaos surrounding the Aleppo evacuation reflects the complexity of Syria&#39;s civil war, with an array of groups and foreign interests involved on each side.

Rebel sources said pro-government Shi&#39;ite militias had detained and opened fire on a convoy carrying evacuees from east Aleppo on Friday. A Syrian military source denied the accusations but said the convoy was turned back to Aleppo.

Abu Bakr told al-Hadath the previous agreement was breached on Friday by pro-government militias who detained &quot;hundreds&quot; of people trying to leave, leading to some deaths.

&quot;Now we are working on international guarantees to guarantee the safety of those who leave Aleppo so that such violations are not repeated,&quot; he said.

A Syrian rebel source said Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front, had not initially agreed to the evacuation of the two villages. The source later said Nusra had agreed, but a Nusra source denied this.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, said no busses or ambulances had yet entered al-Foua or Kefraya, but the operation was expected to begin soon.

Another rebel official confirmed to Reuters that a deal on the evacuation of Aleppo, al-Foua and Kefraya had been reached and that it should go ahead.

Officials from the Syrian government or the military alliance fighting in support of it could not be reached for immediate comment.

Abu Bakr did not say how many people would be evacuated from al-Foua and Kefraya.

The Observatory said the villages contain about 20,000 civilians and roughly 4,500 pro-government fighters.

(Reuters)

The evacuation process had stalled over demands from pro-government forces that two villages besieged by rebels also be evacuated

A new deal has been reached to complete the evacuation of rebel-held areas of east Aleppo which had stalled over demands from pro-government forces that two villages besieged by rebels also be evacuated, a Syrian rebel told news channel al-Arabiya al-Hadath on Saturday. Rebel official al-Farouk Abu Bakr, speaking from Aleppo, said the deal comprised an evacuation from the two Shi'ite villages besieged by insurgents, the evacuation of wounded people from two towns besieged by pro-government forces near the Lebanese border, and the full evacuation of rebel-held eastern Aleppo. The villages of al-Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province are besieged by insurgents. The towns of Madaya and Zabadani are blockaded by pro-government forces. On Friday, the second day of the operation to evacuate fighters and civilians from the last opposition-held area of Aleppo was suspended after pro-government militias demanded that wounded people also be brought out of al-Foua and Kefraya, and protesters blocked the road out of Aleppo. The chaos surrounding the Aleppo evacuation reflects the complexity of Syria's civil war, with an array of groups and foreign interests involved on each side. Rebel sources said pro-government Shi'ite militias had detained and opened fire on a convoy carrying evacuees from east Aleppo on Friday. A Syrian military source denied the accusations but said the convoy was turned back to Aleppo. Abu Bakr told al-Hadath the previous agreement was breached on Friday by pro-government militias who detained "hundreds" of people trying to leave, leading to some deaths. "Now we are working on international guarantees to guarantee the safety of those who leave Aleppo so that such violations are not repeated," he said. A Syrian rebel source said Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front, had not initially agreed to the evacuation of the two villages. The source later said Nusra had agreed, but a Nusra source denied this. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, said no busses or ambulances had yet entered al-Foua or Kefraya, but the operation was expected to begin soon. Another rebel official confirmed to Reuters that a deal on the evacuation of Aleppo, al-Foua and Kefraya had been reached and that it should go ahead. Officials from the Syrian government or the military alliance fighting in support of it could not be reached for immediate comment. Abu Bakr did not say how many people would be evacuated from al-Foua and Kefraya. The Observatory said the villages contain about 20,000 civilians and roughly 4,500 pro-government fighters. (Reuters)

Syrian rebels say new Aleppo evacuation deal in place

The Syrian government suspended the evacuation of civilians and fighters from the last rebel-held parts of Aleppo on Friday, leaving thousands of people trapped and uncertain of their fate.

Appeals came in from around the world for the evacuations to resume, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warning that Aleppo had become &quot;a synonym for hell&quot;.

The United Nations urges &quot;the parties to take all necessary measures to allow safe resumption of this evacuation process&quot;, he said in New York.&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called for all sides to respect the Aleppo deal.

Rebel backer Ankara, which helped broker the accord with regime ally Moscow, said thousands of people were still waiting to leave.

Turkey and a Syrian military source said the evacuation had been suspended but was not yet over, while Moscow insisted the operation was now &quot;complete&quot;, with all women and children moved from the city.

Amid the confusion, a convoy of evacuees that had already left the east when the operation was suspended was forced to turn back, an AFP correspondent said.

The delicate operation to bring the last civilians and rebels out of east Aleppo began on Thursday and continued overnight, with thousands of people leaving in buses and ambulances.

But on Friday morning it was abruptly suspended, with the government accusing rebels of violating the terms of the accord.

&quot;The evacuation operation has been suspended because the militants failed to respect the conditions of the agreement,&quot; a security source told AFP.

State television said rebels had tried to smuggle heavy weapons and hostage out of Aleppo.&nbsp;

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has supervised the evacuation, confirmed it was on hold.The opposition accused the government of suspending the operation in a bid to secure the evacuation of residents from Fuaa and Kafraya, two villages under rebel siege in northwest Syria.

The government and its other main ally Iran have reportedly sought to add an evacuation of civilians from the villages to the terms of the Aleppo deal.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, also said the suspension appeared to be related to the two villages.

It said pro-government fighters had blocked the road out of Aleppo that the evacuation convoy had been using and rebels were refusing the evacuation of residents of Fuaa and Kafraya.

The evacuation of the last pocket of rebel territory in Aleppo had been scheduled to begin on Wednesday, but was delayed by a day because of government objections, including over Fuaa and Kafraya.

Clashes resumed for several hours before the deal was revived, and on Thursday afternoon buses and ambulances began transporting evacuees to rebel territory in the west of Aleppo province.

The Observatory estimated some 8,500 people had left before the operation was suspended, including around 3,000 rebels.

Syrian state media reported a figure of around 8,000.Ahmad al-Dbis, a doctor helping coordinate the evacuation of the wounded, said at least 500 evacuees had wounds or illnesses requiring attention.

From a gathering point near the town of Khan al-Aasal, people were travelling further west, heading either to camps for the displaced or to stay with relatives or friends.

The departures began a month to the day after government forces launched a major offensive to retake all of Aleppo and secure the regime`s biggest victory in more than five years of conflict.

In a video message to Syrians on Thursday, President Bashar al-Assad said the &quot;liberation&quot; of Aleppo was &quot;history in the making&quot;.

But US secretary of state John Kerry said what had already happened in the city was &quot;unconscionable&quot;, raising concerns for the &quot;tens of thousands of lives that are now concentrated into a very small area of Aleppo&quot;.

The UN Security Council will meet later Friday to discuss a French call for international observers to monitor the evacuation and ensure aid deliveries.

It is unclear how many people remain in east Aleppo, with tens of thousands fleeing to territory held by the government or Kurds in recent days, but perhaps tens of thousands are still inside.

The evacuations have been emotional for departing residents desperate for relief after months of bombardment and siege, but also tearful at the prospect of potentially permanent exile.

In the dust of one bus window Thursday someone had traced: &quot;One day we will return&quot;.

&quot;The scene was heart-breaking,&quot; said ICRC Syria head Marianne Gasser.

&quot;People are faced with impossible choices. You see their eyes filled with sadness.&quot;

More than 310,000 people have been killed since the conflict began with anti-government protests in 2011, and over half the population has been displaced, with millions becoming refugees.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was &quot;actively negotiating&quot; with rebels via Turkish mediators.

&quot;The next step (after Aleppo) will be to reach agreement on a complete ceasefire across all of Syria,&quot; he said in Japan.

He added that the parties were proposing fresh peace talks, possibly in Kazakhstan.

(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

The evacuations were suspended as the rebels were accused disrespecting the agreement

The Syrian government suspended the evacuation of civilians and fighters from the last rebel-held parts of Aleppo on Friday, leaving thousands of people trapped and uncertain of their fate. Appeals came in from around the world for the evacuations to resume, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warning that Aleppo had become "a synonym for hell". The United Nations urges "the parties to take all necessary measures to allow safe resumption of this evacuation process", he said in New York. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also called for all sides to respect the Aleppo deal. Rebel backer Ankara, which helped broker the accord with regime ally Moscow, said thousands of people were still waiting to leave. Turkey and a Syrian military source said the evacuation had been suspended but was not yet over, while Moscow insisted the operation was now "complete", with all women and children moved from the city. Amid the confusion, a convoy of evacuees that had already left the east when the operation was suspended was forced to turn back, an AFP correspondent said. The delicate operation to bring the last civilians and rebels out of east Aleppo began on Thursday and continued overnight, with thousands of people leaving in buses and ambulances. But on Friday morning it was abruptly suspended, with the government accusing rebels of violating the terms of the accord. "The evacuation operation has been suspended because the militants failed to respect the conditions of the agreement," a security source told AFP. State television said rebels had tried to smuggle heavy weapons and hostage out of Aleppo. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has supervised the evacuation, confirmed it was on hold.The opposition accused the government of suspending the operation in a bid to secure the evacuation of residents from Fuaa and Kafraya, two villages under rebel siege in northwest Syria. The government and its other main ally Iran have reportedly sought to add an evacuation of civilians from the villages to the terms of the Aleppo deal. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, also said the suspension appeared to be related to the two villages. It said pro-government fighters had blocked the road out of Aleppo that the evacuation convoy had been using and rebels were refusing the evacuation of residents of Fuaa and Kafraya. The evacuation of the last pocket of rebel territory in Aleppo had been scheduled to begin on Wednesday, but was delayed by a day because of government objections, including over Fuaa and Kafraya. Clashes resumed for several hours before the deal was revived, and on Thursday afternoon buses and ambulances began transporting evacuees to rebel territory in the west of Aleppo province. The Observatory estimated some 8,500 people had left before the operation was suspended, including around 3,000 rebels. Syrian state media reported a figure of around 8,000.Ahmad al-Dbis, a doctor helping coordinate the evacuation of the wounded, said at least 500 evacuees had wounds or illnesses requiring attention. From a gathering point near the town of Khan al-Aasal, people were travelling further west, heading either to camps for the displaced or to stay with relatives or friends. The departures began a month to the day after government forces launched a major offensive to retake all of Aleppo and secure the regime`s biggest victory in more than five years of conflict. In a video message to Syrians on Thursday, President Bashar al-Assad said the "liberation" of Aleppo was "history in the making". But US secretary of state John Kerry said what had already happened in the city was "unconscionable", raising concerns for the "tens of thousands of lives that are now concentrated into a very small area of Aleppo". The UN Security Council will meet later Friday to discuss a French call for international observers to monitor the evacuation and ensure aid deliveries. It is unclear how many people remain in east Aleppo, with tens of thousands fleeing to territory held by the government or Kurds in recent days, but perhaps tens of thousands are still inside. The evacuations have been emotional for departing residents desperate for relief after months of bombardment and siege, but also tearful at the prospect of potentially permanent exile. In the dust of one bus window Thursday someone had traced: "One day we will return". "The scene was heart-breaking," said ICRC Syria head Marianne Gasser. "People are faced with impossible choices. You see their eyes filled with sadness." More than 310,000 people have been killed since the conflict began with anti-government protests in 2011, and over half the population has been displaced, with millions becoming refugees. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was "actively negotiating" with rebels via Turkish mediators. "The next step (after Aleppo) will be to reach agreement on a complete ceasefire across all of Syria," he said in Japan. He added that the parties were proposing fresh peace talks, possibly in Kazakhstan. (AFP)

Aleppo evacuation suspended, trapping thousands

Russian air strikes in the Aleppo, Syria, region have killed some 1,207 civilians, 380 of them children, the Syrian White Helmets civil defence group told United Nations war crimes investigators in a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The White Helmets, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Independent Doctors Association and the Violations Documentation Center outlined their accusations against Russia in a 39-page document submitted to the UN&nbsp;Commission of Inquiry on Syria.&nbsp;

The document lists some 304 alleged attacks carried out primarily between July and December in the Aleppo region in which the groups say there is a &quot;high likelihood&quot; of Russia responsibility.&nbsp;

The Russian UN&nbsp;mission was not immediately available to comment on the allegations. Russia, which had been backing a military offensive by Syrian government troops in the city of Aleppo, has said it stopped air strikes there in mid-October.

&quot;Evidence clearly indicates that Russia has committed or been complicit in war crimes in Syria,&quot; the White Helmets letter to the UN&nbsp;inquiry said.&nbsp;

The document said the accusations were based on witness testimony and corroborating evidence, which includes video footage identifying the aircraft responsible for attacks, audio intercepted from aircraft cockpits and the munitions used.

Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo, the first to leave under a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In October, the UN&nbsp;Human Rights Council asked the UN&nbsp;commission of inquiry on Syria, led by Paulo Pinheiro, to identify the perpetrators of war crimes in the city of Aleppo.

The UN&nbsp;high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra&#39;ad al-Hussein, said in October that air strikes in the city of Aleppo&#39;s rebel-held east by government forces and allies were responsible for the overwhelming majority of civilian casualties.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

In a letter to the UN war crimes investigator, the civil defence group said Russian airstrikes in Aleppo have killed some 1,207 civilians

Russian air strikes in the Aleppo, Syria, region have killed some 1,207 civilians, 380 of them children, the Syrian White Helmets civil defence group told United Nations war crimes investigators in a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday. The White Helmets, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Independent Doctors Association and the Violations Documentation Center outlined their accusations against Russia in a 39-page document submitted to the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria. The document lists some 304 alleged attacks carried out primarily between July and December in the Aleppo region in which the groups say there is a "high likelihood" of Russia responsibility. The Russian UN mission was not immediately available to comment on the allegations. Russia, which had been backing a military offensive by Syrian government troops in the city of Aleppo, has said it stopped air strikes there in mid-October. "Evidence clearly indicates that Russia has committed or been complicit in war crimes in Syria," the White Helmets letter to the UN inquiry said. The document said the accusations were based on witness testimony and corroborating evidence, which includes video footage identifying the aircraft responsible for attacks, audio intercepted from aircraft cockpits and the munitions used. Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo, the first to leave under a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In October, the UN Human Rights Council asked the UN commission of inquiry on Syria, led by Paulo Pinheiro, to identify the perpetrators of war crimes in the city of Aleppo. The UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, said in October that air strikes in the city of Aleppo's rebel-held east by government forces and allies were responsible for the overwhelming majority of civilian casualties. (Reuters)

Syria: White Helmets accuse Russia of 'war crimes' in Aleppo

President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are working to organise a new series of Syrian peace talks without the involvement of the United States or the United Nations.

In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey and that the peace talks, if they happened, would be in addition to intermittent UN-brokered negotiations in Geneva.

&quot;The next step is to reach an agreement on a total ceasefire across the whole of Syria,&quot; Putin said in Tokyo. &quot;We are conducting very active negotiations with representatives of the armed opposition, brokered by Turkey.&quot;

Putin, who has leveraged Russia&#39;s role in Syria to boost his diplomatic muscle, said the talks proposal was being put to the Syrian government and the opposition. Kazakhstan, the proposed venue, is a Russian ally, and Putin said the talks could take place in Astana, the Kazakh capital.

The surprise move underlines the growing strength of Moscow&#39;s rapprochement with Ankara, with which it fell out last year over the shooting down of a Russian plane, and reflects Russia&#39;s desire to cement its growing influence in the Middle East and more widely.

It also shows how fed up Russia is with what it sees as long and pointless talks with the Obama administration over Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week dismissed those talks as &quot;fruitless sitting around&quot; and said Ankara might prove a more effective partner on Syria.

Turkey, which wants to boost its global sway too, is also deeply frustrated by US&nbsp;policy in Syria, particularly Washington&#39;s support for Kurdish militia fighters it sees as a hostile force, and by what it views as Barack Obama&#39;s failure to give enough support to the rebels.

Putin played down the idea that the talks would sideline or overshadow similar talks brokered by the United Nations that have been held intermittently in Geneva.

&quot;It won&rsquo;t compete with the Geneva talks, but will complement them. Wherever the conflicting sides meet, in my view it is the right thing to do to try to find a political solution,&quot; he said.

The initiative is unlikely to go down well with UN&nbsp;envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura however. He told reporters in Paris on Thursday that it was time for all sides to return to the table, but the United Nations would have to broker any talks for them to have legitimacy.

&nbsp;

ODD COUPLE

Russia still hopes it can co-operate on Syria with the United States and join forces with Washington against Islamic State once President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

But Trump will not be inaugurated until January&nbsp;20, leaving a power vacuum, and is likely in any case to need some time to formulate foreign policy.

The alliance between Moscow and Ankara is at first glance an odd one. Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s closest allies, while Turkey, a NATO member, wants him removed.

But Ankara may be ready to accept a transition in which Assad is involved, provided he ultimately relinquishes power.

Turkey&#39;s main priority, on which it will want at least tacit Russian agreement, is to ensure that Kurdish militias are unable to gain further territory in Syria along its borders.

Ankara launched an incursion into Syria, &quot;Operation Euphrates Shield&quot;, in August to push Islamic State out of a 90-km (55-mile) stretch of frontier territory and prevent Kurdish groups from seizing ground in their wake.

Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli acknowledged two weeks ago that Turkey &quot;would not have moved so comfortably&quot; without the rapprochement with Russia, which effectively controls parts of northern Syrian air space.

Turkey now wants the rebels it supports to push further south into Syria and take the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab, around 40 kilometres northeast of Aleppo.

Erdogan is determined that the Turkish-backed rebels capture the city to prevent Kurdish militias from doing so. But that ambition could cause difficulties with Moscow, as al-Bab lies close to the front lines of Assad&#39;s allies.

&nbsp;

ALEPPO DEAL

Putin had only warm words for the prospect of deeper Russo-Turkish co-operation however and said the evacuation of rebels from Aleppo was something that he and Erdogan had agreed on.

He hoped the Syrian army would be able to consolidate its position in Aleppo and civilians return to normal life.

The RIA agency this week quoted Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, as saying it had been easier to deal with Turkey on Aleppo than the United States.

&quot;It was much more straightforward to reach agreements with Turkey than with the Americans,&quot; he was cited as saying.

Putin played down the Syrian government&#39;s recent loss of Palmyra to Islamic State, blaming the lack of coordination between the US

led coalition, the Syrian authorities, and Russia for the setback.

&ldquo;Everything that is happening in Palmyra is the result of uncoordinated action,&quot; said Putin.

&ldquo;The question of Palmyra is purely symbolic. Aleppo is much more important from a military-political point of view.&rdquo;

(Reuters)

In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey

President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are working to organise a new series of Syrian peace talks without the involvement of the United States or the United Nations. In a snub to Washington, Putin made clear on Friday that the initiative was the sole preserve of Moscow and Turkey and that the peace talks, if they happened, would be in addition to intermittent UN-brokered negotiations in Geneva. "The next step is to reach an agreement on a total ceasefire across the whole of Syria," Putin said in Tokyo. "We are conducting very active negotiations with representatives of the armed opposition, brokered by Turkey." Putin, who has leveraged Russia's role in Syria to boost his diplomatic muscle, said the talks proposal was being put to the Syrian government and the opposition. Kazakhstan, the proposed venue, is a Russian ally, and Putin said the talks could take place in Astana, the Kazakh capital. The surprise move underlines the growing strength of Moscow's rapprochement with Ankara, with which it fell out last year over the shooting down of a Russian plane, and reflects Russia's desire to cement its growing influence in the Middle East and more widely. It also shows how fed up Russia is with what it sees as long and pointless talks with the Obama administration over Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week dismissed those talks as "fruitless sitting around" and said Ankara might prove a more effective partner on Syria. Turkey, which wants to boost its global sway too, is also deeply frustrated by US policy in Syria, particularly Washington's support for Kurdish militia fighters it sees as a hostile force, and by what it views as Barack Obama's failure to give enough support to the rebels. Putin played down the idea that the talks would sideline or overshadow similar talks brokered by the United Nations that have been held intermittently in Geneva. "It won’t compete with the Geneva talks, but will complement them. Wherever the conflicting sides meet, in my view it is the right thing to do to try to find a political solution," he said. The initiative is unlikely to go down well with UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura however. He told reporters in Paris on Thursday that it was time for all sides to return to the table, but the United Nations would have to broker any talks for them to have legitimacy. ODD COUPLE Russia still hopes it can co-operate on Syria with the United States and join forces with Washington against Islamic State once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. But Trump will not be inaugurated until January 20, leaving a power vacuum, and is likely in any case to need some time to formulate foreign policy. The alliance between Moscow and Ankara is at first glance an odd one. Russia is one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's closest allies, while Turkey, a NATO member, wants him removed. But Ankara may be ready to accept a transition in which Assad is involved, provided he ultimately relinquishes power. Turkey's main priority, on which it will want at least tacit Russian agreement, is to ensure that Kurdish militias are unable to gain further territory in Syria along its borders. Ankara launched an incursion into Syria, "Operation Euphrates Shield", in August to push Islamic State out of a 90-km (55-mile) stretch of frontier territory and prevent Kurdish groups from seizing ground in their wake. Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli acknowledged two weeks ago that Turkey "would not have moved so comfortably" without the rapprochement with Russia, which effectively controls parts of northern Syrian air space. Turkey now wants the rebels it supports to push further south into Syria and take the Islamic State-held city of al-Bab, around 40 kilometres northeast of Aleppo. Erdogan is determined that the Turkish-backed rebels capture the city to prevent Kurdish militias from doing so. But that ambition could cause difficulties with Moscow, as al-Bab lies close to the front lines of Assad's allies. ALEPPO DEAL Putin had only warm words for the prospect of deeper Russo-Turkish co-operation however and said the evacuation of rebels from Aleppo was something that he and Erdogan had agreed on. He hoped the Syrian army would be able to consolidate its position in Aleppo and civilians return to normal life. The RIA agency this week quoted Andrei Kelin, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry official, as saying it had been easier to deal with Turkey on Aleppo than the United States. "It was much more straightforward to reach agreements with Turkey than with the Americans," he was cited as saying. Putin played down the Syrian government's recent loss of Palmyra to Islamic State, blaming the lack of coordination between the US led coalition, the Syrian authorities, and Russia for the setback. “Everything that is happening in Palmyra is the result of uncoordinated action," said Putin. “The question of Palmyra is purely symbolic. Aleppo is much more important from a military-political point of view.” (Reuters)

Putin and Erdogan push for Syria talks without US or UN

Russia&#39;s defence ministry said Thursday it was working with the Syrian authorities to prepare the evacuation of the remaining rebels in war-torn eastern Aleppo.

&quot;On the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian ceasefire monitoring centre, in cooperation with Syrian authorities, is preparing the evacuation of the remaining rebels and members of their families from the eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo,&quot; a ministry statement said.&nbsp;

The rebels would be evacuated toward the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib in 20 buses and 10 ambulances, it said.&nbsp;

The International Committee of the Red Cross will help with transporting injured rebels out of the eastern part of Syria&rsquo;s war-torn city of Aleppo, Russia`s defence ministry said on Thursday,Interfax news agency reported, according to Reuters.&nbsp;

The announcement comes as a new agreement was reached for the evacuation of rebel fighters remaining in Aleppo, according to a senior Syrian military source.

The Russian defence ministry said that Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of the rebels leaving the city.&nbsp;

A similar evacuation which had been due to take place on Wednesday morning fell apart, with Russia saying the Syrian army had resumed its assault on eastern Aleppo after rebels broke a truce intended to allow them to leave.&nbsp;

The rebels&#39; evacuation would mark a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad over the opposition forces who rose up against him in March 2011.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow expected rebel resistance in Aleppo to end in the next &quot;two to three days.&quot;

Moscow is backing staunch ally Assad&#39;s forces with a bombing campaign, while Washington has supported rebel forces battling the regime.

The fall of Aleppo would be the worst rebel defeat since the start of the conflict, leaving the regime in control of Syria`s five major cities.

More than 300,000 people have been killed and over half of the population displaced in nearly six years of deadly fighting. Millions have also fled the country.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The announcement comes as a new agreement was reached for the evacuation of rebels remaining in Aleppo, a senior military source said

Russia's defence ministry said Thursday it was working with the Syrian authorities to prepare the evacuation of the remaining rebels in war-torn eastern Aleppo. "On the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian ceasefire monitoring centre, in cooperation with Syrian authorities, is preparing the evacuation of the remaining rebels and members of their families from the eastern neighbourhoods of Aleppo," a ministry statement said. The rebels would be evacuated toward the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib in 20 buses and 10 ambulances, it said. The International Committee of the Red Cross will help with transporting injured rebels out of the eastern part of Syria’s war-torn city of Aleppo, Russia`s defence ministry said on Thursday,Interfax news agency reported, according to Reuters. The announcement comes as a new agreement was reached for the evacuation of rebel fighters remaining in Aleppo, according to a senior Syrian military source. The Russian defence ministry said that Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of the rebels leaving the city. A similar evacuation which had been due to take place on Wednesday morning fell apart, with Russia saying the Syrian army had resumed its assault on eastern Aleppo after rebels broke a truce intended to allow them to leave. The rebels' evacuation would mark a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad over the opposition forces who rose up against him in March 2011. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow expected rebel resistance in Aleppo to end in the next "two to three days." Moscow is backing staunch ally Assad's forces with a bombing campaign, while Washington has supported rebel forces battling the regime. The fall of Aleppo would be the worst rebel defeat since the start of the conflict, leaving the regime in control of Syria`s five major cities. More than 300,000 people have been killed and over half of the population displaced in nearly six years of deadly fighting. Millions have also fled the country. (AFP)

Russia, Syria preparing rebels' evacuation from Aleppo: Ministry

An operation to evacuate thousands of civilians and fighters from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo&nbsp;began on Thursday, part of a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a&nbsp;major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.&nbsp;

A convoy of ambulances and buses with nearly 1,000 people aboard drove out of the devastated rebel-held area of Aleppo, which was besieged and bombarded for months by Syrian government forces, a&nbsp;Reuters reporter on the scene said.&nbsp;

Syrian state television reported later that a second convoy of 15 buses had also left.&nbsp;

Women cried out in celebration as the buses passed through a government-held area, and some waved&nbsp;the Syrian flag. Assad said in a video statement the taking of Aleppo was a historic moment.

An elderly woman, who had gathered with others in a government area to watch the convoy removing the&nbsp;rebels, raised her hands to the sky, saying: &quot;God save us from this crisis, and from the&nbsp;(militants). They brought us only destruction.&quot;

Wissam Zarqa, an English teacher in the rebel zone, said most people were happy to be leaving&nbsp;safely. But he said,&nbsp;&quot;Some of them are angry they are leaving their city. I saw some of them crying.&nbsp;This is almost my feeling in a way.&quot;

Earlier, ambulances trying to evacuate people came under fire from fighters loyal to the Syrian&nbsp;government, who injured three people, a rescue service spokesman said.

&quot;Thousands of people are in need of evacuation, but the first and most urgent thing is wounded, sick&nbsp;and children, including orphans,&quot; said Jan Egeland, the UN humanitarian adviser for Syria.

Behind those fleeing was a wasteland of flattened buildings, concrete rubble and bullet-pocked&nbsp;walls, where tens of thousands had lived until recent days under intense bombardment even after&nbsp;medical and rescue services had collapsed.

The once-flourishing economic centre with its renowned ancient sites has been pulverised during the&nbsp;war which has killed more than 300,000 people, created the world`s worst refugee crisis and allowed&nbsp;for the rise of Islamic State.

&quot;Place them all in IDLIB&quot;

Turkey is considering establishing a camp in Syria for civilians being evacuated from Aleppo and the&nbsp;number of people brought out of the city could reach 100,000, deputy prime minister Veysi Kaynak&nbsp;said.

In Aleppo&#39;s rebel-held area, columns of black smoke could be seen as residents hoping to depart&nbsp;burned personal belongings they do not want to leave for government forces to loot.

&quot;It&#39;s difficult to leave your belongings knowing that your enemy is going to use them. Thugs usually&nbsp;will take them ... They will take everything as a prize for kicking us out,&quot; Zarqa, the teacher,&nbsp;said.&nbsp;

A senior Russian general, Viktor Poznikhir, said the Syrian army had almost finished its operations&nbsp;in Aleppo.

However, the war will still be far from over, with insurgents retaining their rural stronghold of&nbsp;Idlib province to the&nbsp;southwest of Aleppo, and the jihadist Islamic State group holding swathes of&nbsp;the east and recapturing Palmyra this week.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said close to 1,000 civilians and 26 wounded, including&nbsp;several children, were evacuated, a total it expects to double by day&#39;s end. The ICRC said there was&nbsp;&quot;very light screening&quot; by Syrian authorities without identity checks and registrations.

Rebels and their families would be taken towards Idlib, a city in northwestern Syria which is&nbsp;outside government control, the Russian defence ministry said.

Idlib province, mostly controlled by hardline Islamist groups, is not a popular destination for&nbsp;fighters and civilians from east Aleppo, where nationalist rebel groups predominated.

A senior European diplomat said last week that the fighters had a choice between surviving for a few&nbsp;weeks in Idlib or dying in Aleppo. &quot;For the Russians it`s simple. Place them all in Idlib and then&nbsp;they have all their rotten eggs in one basket.&quot;&nbsp;

Idlib is already a target for Syrian and Russian air strikes but it is unclear if the government&nbsp;will push for a ground assault or simply seek to contain rebels there for now.

The International Rescue Committee said, &quot;Escaping Aleppo doesn&#39;t mean escaping the war ... After&nbsp;witnessing the ferocity of attacks on civilians in Aleppo, we are very concerned that the sieges and&nbsp;barrel bombs will follow the thousands who arrive in Idlib.&quot;&nbsp;

Britain&#39;s foreign secretary Boris Johnson said he had summoned the ambassadors of Russia and Iran to&nbsp;convey profound disquiet over Aleppo, saying it was crucial to protect civilians and deliver aid. UN&nbsp;chief Stephen O&#39;Brien will brief the Security Council on Friday on the Aleppo evacation.

Shi&#39;ite villages

The evacuation deal was expected to include the safe passage of wounded from the Shi&#39;ite villages of&nbsp;Foua and Kefraya near Idlib that are besieged by rebels. A convoy set off to evacuate the villages&nbsp;on Thursday, Syrian state media said.

Efforts to evacuate eastern Aleppo began earlier in the week with a truce brokered by Russia,&nbsp;Assad&#39;s most powerful ally, and Turkey, which has backed the opposition. That agreement broke down&nbsp;following renewed fighting on Wednesday and the evacuation did not take place then as planned.

A rebel official said a new truce came into effect early on Thursday. Shortly before the new deal&nbsp;was announced, clashes raged in Aleppo.

Government forces made a new advance in Sukkari -- one of a handful of districts still held by rebels&nbsp;-- and brought half of the neighbourhood under their control, according to the Syrian Observatory for&nbsp;Human Rights, a monitoring group.&nbsp;

The Russian defence ministry said - before the report of the government forces&#39; advance in Sukkari --&nbsp;that the rebels controlled an enclave of only 2.5 square km (1 square mile).&nbsp;

The evacuation plan was the culmination of two weeks of rapid advances by the Syrian army and its&nbsp;allies that drove insurgents back into an ever-smaller pocket of the city under intense air strikes&nbsp;and artillery fire.

By taking control of Aleppo, Assad has proved the power of his military coalition, aided by Russia`s&nbsp;air force and an array of Shi&#39;ite militias from across the region.&nbsp;

Rebels have been backed by the United States, Turkey and Gulf monarchies, but that support has&nbsp;fallen far short of the direct military assistance given to Assad by Russia and Iran.

Russia&#39;s decision to deploy its air force to Syria more than a year ago turned the war in Assad&#39;s&nbsp;favour after rebel advances across western Syria. In addition to Aleppo, he has won back insurgent&nbsp;strongholds near Damascus this year.&nbsp;

The government and its allies have focused the bulk of their firepower on fighting rebels in western 
Syria rather than Islamic State, which this week managed to take back the ancient city of Palmyra, 
once again illustrating the challenge Assad faces reestablishing control over all Syria.

(Reuters)

Rebels and their families will be taken towards Idlib, a city in northwestern Syria which is outside government control

An operation to evacuate thousands of civilians and fighters from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo began on Thursday, part of a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A convoy of ambulances and buses with nearly 1,000 people aboard drove out of the devastated rebel-held area of Aleppo, which was besieged and bombarded for months by Syrian government forces, a Reuters reporter on the scene said. Syrian state television reported later that a second convoy of 15 buses had also left. Women cried out in celebration as the buses passed through a government-held area, and some waved the Syrian flag. Assad said in a video statement the taking of Aleppo was a historic moment. An elderly woman, who had gathered with others in a government area to watch the convoy removing the rebels, raised her hands to the sky, saying: "God save us from this crisis, and from the (militants). They brought us only destruction." Wissam Zarqa, an English teacher in the rebel zone, said most people were happy to be leaving safely. But he said, "Some of them are angry they are leaving their city. I saw some of them crying. This is almost my feeling in a way." Earlier, ambulances trying to evacuate people came under fire from fighters loyal to the Syrian government, who injured three people, a rescue service spokesman said. "Thousands of people are in need of evacuation, but the first and most urgent thing is wounded, sick and children, including orphans," said Jan Egeland, the UN humanitarian adviser for Syria. Behind those fleeing was a wasteland of flattened buildings, concrete rubble and bullet-pocked walls, where tens of thousands had lived until recent days under intense bombardment even after medical and rescue services had collapsed. The once-flourishing economic centre with its renowned ancient sites has been pulverised during the war which has killed more than 300,000 people, created the world`s worst refugee crisis and allowed for the rise of Islamic State. "Place them all in IDLIB" Turkey is considering establishing a camp in Syria for civilians being evacuated from Aleppo and the number of people brought out of the city could reach 100,000, deputy prime minister Veysi Kaynak said. In Aleppo's rebel-held area, columns of black smoke could be seen as residents hoping to depart burned personal belongings they do not want to leave for government forces to loot. "It's difficult to leave your belongings knowing that your enemy is going to use them. Thugs usually will take them ... They will take everything as a prize for kicking us out," Zarqa, the teacher, said. A senior Russian general, Viktor Poznikhir, said the Syrian army had almost finished its operations in Aleppo. However, the war will still be far from over, with insurgents retaining their rural stronghold of Idlib province to the southwest of Aleppo, and the jihadist Islamic State group holding swathes of the east and recapturing Palmyra this week. The International Committee of the Red Cross said close to 1,000 civilians and 26 wounded, including several children, were evacuated, a total it expects to double by day's end. The ICRC said there was "very light screening" by Syrian authorities without identity checks and registrations. Rebels and their families would be taken towards Idlib, a city in northwestern Syria which is outside government control, the Russian defence ministry said. Idlib province, mostly controlled by hardline Islamist groups, is not a popular destination for fighters and civilians from east Aleppo, where nationalist rebel groups predominated. A senior European diplomat said last week that the fighters had a choice between surviving for a few weeks in Idlib or dying in Aleppo. "For the Russians it`s simple. Place them all in Idlib and then they have all their rotten eggs in one basket." Idlib is already a target for Syrian and Russian air strikes but it is unclear if the government will push for a ground assault or simply seek to contain rebels there for now. The International Rescue Committee said, "Escaping Aleppo doesn't mean escaping the war ... After witnessing the ferocity of attacks on civilians in Aleppo, we are very concerned that the sieges and barrel bombs will follow the thousands who arrive in Idlib." Britain's foreign secretary Boris Johnson said he had summoned the ambassadors of Russia and Iran to convey profound disquiet over Aleppo, saying it was crucial to protect civilians and deliver aid. UN chief Stephen O'Brien will brief the Security Council on Friday on the Aleppo evacation. Shi'ite villages The evacuation deal was expected to include the safe passage of wounded from the Shi'ite villages of Foua and Kefraya near Idlib that are besieged by rebels. A convoy set off to evacuate the villages on Thursday, Syrian state media said. Efforts to evacuate eastern Aleppo began earlier in the week with a truce brokered by Russia, Assad's most powerful ally, and Turkey, which has backed the opposition. That agreement broke down following renewed fighting on Wednesday and the evacuation did not take place then as planned. A rebel official said a new truce came into effect early on Thursday. Shortly before the new deal was announced, clashes raged in Aleppo. Government forces made a new advance in Sukkari -- one of a handful of districts still held by rebels -- and brought half of the neighbourhood under their control, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group. The Russian defence ministry said - before the report of the government forces' advance in Sukkari -- that the rebels controlled an enclave of only 2.5 square km (1 square mile). The evacuation plan was the culmination of two weeks of rapid advances by the Syrian army and its allies that drove insurgents back into an ever-smaller pocket of the city under intense air strikes and artillery fire. By taking control of Aleppo, Assad has proved the power of his military coalition, aided by Russia`s air force and an array of Shi'ite militias from across the region. Rebels have been backed by the United States, Turkey and Gulf monarchies, but that support has fallen far short of the direct military assistance given to Assad by Russia and Iran. Russia's decision to deploy its air force to Syria more than a year ago turned the war in Assad's favour after rebel advances across western Syria. In addition to Aleppo, he has won back insurgent strongholds near Damascus this year. The government and its allies have focused the bulk of their firepower on fighting rebels in western Syria rather than Islamic State, which this week managed to take back the ancient city of Palmyra, once again illustrating the challenge Assad faces reestablishing control over all Syria. (Reuters)

Syria rebels evacuate Aleppo after ceasefire deal

Syrian rebels announced a new evacuation deal for Aleppo civilians and the injured on Wednesday, after shelling and air strikes sent terrified residents running through the city&#39;s streets.

However a source close to Syria&#39;s government denied the development, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said hostilities were ongoing after an earlier agreement collapsed.

Under the initial plan, thousands of civilians and rebel fighters were due early Wednesday to evacuate the east of Syria&#39;s second city, scene of some of the worst violence in more than five years of war across the country.

But cold and hungry civilians who had gathered before dawn to leave were instead plunged back into a familiar nightmare.

&quot;Bombing is ongoing, no one can move. Everyone is hiding and terrified,&quot; activist Mohammad al-Khatib told AFP from inside east Aleppo.

&quot;The wounded and dead are lying in the street. No one dares to try and retrieve the bodies.&quot;

Officials from the Nureddin al-Zinki and the hardline Ahrar al-Sham rebel groups confirmed to AFP that a new truce deal had come into effect after hours of violence Wednesday.

&quot;A ceasefire has come into effect in Aleppo after negotiations between the Russians and the Turkish Red Crescent,&quot; said Yasser al-Youssef, a Nureddin al-Zinki political official.

&quot;The first group of civilians and wounded people will leave at dawn on Thursday,&quot; Youssef told AFP.

He said an agreement on rebels had also been reached but news of the deal was denied by a source close to Syria&#39;s government.

&quot;There is no agreement, the negotiations are ongoing,&quot; the source said.

Telephone diplomacy

As air strikes and artillery fire shook the city earlier Wednesday, AFP&#39;s correspondent in rebel areas of Aleppo saw panicked civilians running for cover.

The Britain-based Observatory reported &quot;very intense clashes on every front line&quot; and said at least two people had been killed in rebel areas.

State television said rebel rocket fire on government-controlled areas had killed at least seven people.

Former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front said Wednesday that one of its suicide bombers detonated a car bomb at a regime position in southern Aleppo.

A source with knowledge of efforts to resuscitate the ceasefire deal earlier said Syria, opposition backer Turkey, and regime allies Russia and Iran were locked in talks.

Moscow has blamed rebels for violating the ceasefire, saying it now expected opposition resistance in Aleppo to end in the next &quot;two to three days&quot;.

A source close to the government said Damascus objected to the number of people leaving, claiming rebels had sought to raise it from 2,000 to 10,000.

But Youssef from the Nureddin al-Zinki rebel group said the regime and Iran sought to link the Aleppo deal to the fate of Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite-majority villages in northwest Syria under rebel siege.

It was unclear whether the new agreement included a condition that wounded people would also be evacuated from there.

The rebels and Ankara have accused President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s regime and its supporters of blocking the evacuation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone call that ceasefire violations must end.

&quot;They stressed that the ceasefire agreement... should be put into practice (and) the violations of the deal must be stopped,&quot; Turkish presidential sources said.

Moscow meet

Turkey said it would meet with Russia and Iran in Moscow on December 27 to discuss a political solution to the conflict in Syria.

&quot;We are striving to secure a ceasefire throughout the country and for negotiations for a political solution to start,&quot; said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday also spoke again with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, as well as with Cavusoglu and Qatar&#39;s Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

Syria&#39;s army has pressed a month-long assault that has seen it take more than 90 percent of the former rebel stronghold in east Aleppo.

Turkey has said those leaving would be taken to Idlib province, which is controlled by a powerful rebel alliance that includes the Fateh al-Sham Front.

The agreement came amid international concern about the plight of civilians in the city, and as the UN said it had reports of atrocities being committed by advancing government forces.

In Istanbul, more than a thousand people protested outside the Iranian consulate to denounce the actions of regime allies Tehran and Moscow and demand the evacuation of civilians from Aleppo.&nbsp;

In Kuwait around 2,000 demonstrated in front of the Russian embassy while in Paris several hundred people gathered in support of the victims of Aleppo.

Eiffel Tower goes dark&nbsp;

The lights on the Eiffel Tower were also switched off in what Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was a protest at the &quot;unbearable&quot; situation for civilians in Aleppo.

The UN said Tuesday it had credible reports of at least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children, being executed in recent days.

And the UN&#39;s Commission of Inquiry for Syria said it had received reports opposition fighters were blocking civilians from fleeing Aleppo and using them as human shields.&nbsp;

Aleppo, a cultural and economic hub second only to Damascus in importance, had been split between a rebel-controlled east and government-held west since 2012.

It was unclear how many civilians remained in rebel territory, after an estimated 130,000 fled to other parts of Aleppo during the government advance since mid-November.

More than 465 civilians, including 62 children, have died in east Aleppo during the assault, the Observatory said Wednesday in a new toll.

Another 142 civilians, among them 42 children, have been killed by rebel rocket fire on government-held zones in the same period, the monitor said.

Syria&#39;s conflict has evolved from anti-Assad protests into a multi-front war that has killed more than 312,000 and drawn in world powers on all sides of the war.

(AFP)

But a source close to the Syrian government denied the development and a rights monitor said hostilities were ongoing

Syrian rebels announced a new evacuation deal for Aleppo civilians and the injured on Wednesday, after shelling and air strikes sent terrified residents running through the city's streets. However a source close to Syria's government denied the development, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said hostilities were ongoing after an earlier agreement collapsed. Under the initial plan, thousands of civilians and rebel fighters were due early Wednesday to evacuate the east of Syria's second city, scene of some of the worst violence in more than five years of war across the country. But cold and hungry civilians who had gathered before dawn to leave were instead plunged back into a familiar nightmare. "Bombing is ongoing, no one can move. Everyone is hiding and terrified," activist Mohammad al-Khatib told AFP from inside east Aleppo. "The wounded and dead are lying in the street. No one dares to try and retrieve the bodies." Officials from the Nureddin al-Zinki and the hardline Ahrar al-Sham rebel groups confirmed to AFP that a new truce deal had come into effect after hours of violence Wednesday. "A ceasefire has come into effect in Aleppo after negotiations between the Russians and the Turkish Red Crescent," said Yasser al-Youssef, a Nureddin al-Zinki political official. "The first group of civilians and wounded people will leave at dawn on Thursday," Youssef told AFP. He said an agreement on rebels had also been reached but news of the deal was denied by a source close to Syria's government. "There is no agreement, the negotiations are ongoing," the source said. Telephone diplomacy As air strikes and artillery fire shook the city earlier Wednesday, AFP's correspondent in rebel areas of Aleppo saw panicked civilians running for cover. The Britain-based Observatory reported "very intense clashes on every front line" and said at least two people had been killed in rebel areas. State television said rebel rocket fire on government-controlled areas had killed at least seven people. Former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front said Wednesday that one of its suicide bombers detonated a car bomb at a regime position in southern Aleppo. A source with knowledge of efforts to resuscitate the ceasefire deal earlier said Syria, opposition backer Turkey, and regime allies Russia and Iran were locked in talks. Moscow has blamed rebels for violating the ceasefire, saying it now expected opposition resistance in Aleppo to end in the next "two to three days". A source close to the government said Damascus objected to the number of people leaving, claiming rebels had sought to raise it from 2,000 to 10,000. But Youssef from the Nureddin al-Zinki rebel group said the regime and Iran sought to link the Aleppo deal to the fate of Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite-majority villages in northwest Syria under rebel siege. It was unclear whether the new agreement included a condition that wounded people would also be evacuated from there. The rebels and Ankara have accused President Bashar al-Assad's regime and its supporters of blocking the evacuation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed in a phone call that ceasefire violations must end. "They stressed that the ceasefire agreement... should be put into practice (and) the violations of the deal must be stopped," Turkish presidential sources said. Moscow meet Turkey said it would meet with Russia and Iran in Moscow on December 27 to discuss a political solution to the conflict in Syria. "We are striving to secure a ceasefire throughout the country and for negotiations for a political solution to start," said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday also spoke again with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, as well as with Cavusoglu and Qatar's Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. Syria's army has pressed a month-long assault that has seen it take more than 90 percent of the former rebel stronghold in east Aleppo. Turkey has said those leaving would be taken to Idlib province, which is controlled by a powerful rebel alliance that includes the Fateh al-Sham Front. The agreement came amid international concern about the plight of civilians in the city, and as the UN said it had reports of atrocities being committed by advancing government forces. In Istanbul, more than a thousand people protested outside the Iranian consulate to denounce the actions of regime allies Tehran and Moscow and demand the evacuation of civilians from Aleppo. In Kuwait around 2,000 demonstrated in front of the Russian embassy while in Paris several hundred people gathered in support of the victims of Aleppo. Eiffel Tower goes dark The lights on the Eiffel Tower were also switched off in what Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was a protest at the "unbearable" situation for civilians in Aleppo. The UN said Tuesday it had credible reports of at least 82 civilians, including 11 women and 13 children, being executed in recent days. And the UN's Commission of Inquiry for Syria said it had received reports opposition fighters were blocking civilians from fleeing Aleppo and using them as human shields. Aleppo, a cultural and economic hub second only to Damascus in importance, had been split between a rebel-controlled east and government-held west since 2012. It was unclear how many civilians remained in rebel territory, after an estimated 130,000 fled to other parts of Aleppo during the government advance since mid-November. More than 465 civilians, including 62 children, have died in east Aleppo during the assault, the Observatory said Wednesday in a new toll. Another 142 civilians, among them 42 children, have been killed by rebel rocket fire on government-held zones in the same period, the monitor said. Syria's conflict has evolved from anti-Assad protests into a multi-front war that has killed more than 312,000 and drawn in world powers on all sides of the war. (AFP)

Syria rebels announce new evacuation deal for Aleppo

'I can tweet now but I might not do it forever. Please save my daughter's life,' said one

As the city's fall nears, Aleppo's remaining residents are tweeting their “final goodbyes”. NInety-eight per cent of the city is under regime control and the rebels holed up in one tiny, heavily-bombarded pocket, In one such tweet, a media activist sent out a video message which he called “close to if not the last communication”. Perhaps my final message from E. Aleppo. Regime forces are closing in and bunker busters are raining down. pic.twitter.com/XgK0DSa08x — Bilal Abdul Kareem (@BilalKareem) December 12, 2016 × A man from Aleppo tweeted photos of his daughter, saying: “Will I see her for another day”. “This is a call and this might be the last call,” he tweeted, calling on viewers to “save’ the people of Aleppo. this is a call and might be the last call. Save Aleppo people. Save my daughter and other children. #StandWithAleppo — @Mr.Alhamdo (@Mr_Alhamdo) December 12, 2016 × Lamar is beginning me to hold her up. Will I see her for another day? pic.twitter.com/nQ3lvsoBC1 — @Mr.Alhamdo (@Mr_Alhamdo) December 12, 2016 × I can tweet now but I might not do it forever. please save my daughter's life and others. this is a call from a father. — @Mr.Alhamdo (@Mr_Alhamdo) December 12, 2016 × Another man said he was “surprised” he was still alive and tweeting. Final message - people are dying since last night. I am very surprised I am tweeting right now & still alive. - Fatemah #Aleppo — Bana Alabed (@AlabedBana) December 12, 2016 × Others said they should not be lulled into believing the fall of Aleppo would mean a return to "normalcy". 1/ We need to be very careful before thinking that the "fall of #Aleppo" will mean a return to peace, calm, or normalcy in any sense. — Shawn Carrié (@shawncarrie) December 12, 2016 × 2/ "Now it's not about victory, it is about a hundred thousand civilians," a member of the local council in #Aleppo told me today. — Shawn Carrié (@shawncarrie) December 12, 2016 × 3/ Every person in East #Aleppo is at risk of imprisonment as soon as they are back in the regime's hands. Every single one. — Shawn Carrié (@shawncarrie) December 12, 2016 × (WION)

As offensive nears end, Aleppo residents tweet 'final goodbyes'

The Syrian government has &quot;re-established control over eastern Aleppo&quot; and all military operations have been ceased to allow civilians and rebel fighters to leave the city, the Russian ambassador to the UN said Tuesday.&nbsp;

An agreement was reached between the rebels and President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government Tuesday to let the rebels leave, AFP reported.&nbsp;

&quot;In the process of that, the military operations stopped. &nbsp;There is no need for military operations because they are leaving,&quot; he said.

&quot;The bottom line is -- if everything is okay -- that means that the fighting around eastern Aleppo is over,&quot; Churkin said.&nbsp;

Several green and white buses arrived at the evacuation point of Ramouseh on Wednesday to start the evacuation process, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

Churkin said the rebels &quot;are currently going through agreed corridors, going in directions they have chosen themselves voluntarily including towards Idlib,&quot; the rebels stronghold.&nbsp;

&quot;According to the latest information that we received in the last hour, military actions in eastern Aleppo are over, so there is no issue of some cessation of hostilities or some special humanitarian operation,&quot; he said.

However, several AFP journalists in the government-held area of Aleppo were supposed to be evacuated, said evacuation process had not been started&nbsp;as of 2000 GMT.&nbsp;

US wants observers in Aleppo&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Russia and Iran to &quot;urgently allow the remaining civilians to escape the area&quot; and provide aid to those left in the city.&nbsp;

The UN secuirty council held an emergency meeting at the request of France and Britain following UN reports that at least 82 people, including 11 women and 13 children, were killed in four neighbourhoods as the fighting came to an end.&nbsp;

Churkin denied the report claiming Russian officials had investigated the allegations.&nbsp;

The Syrian government refused to let UN officials enter Aleppo and verify the report.&nbsp;

US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said countries should send observers to &quot;oversee the safe evacuation of the people who wish to leave but who, justifiably fear that if they try, they will be shot in the street or carted off to one of Assad&#39;s gulags.&quot;

More than 300,000 people have been killed since March 2011 and over half of the population displaced.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Russia's envoy to the UN said the Syrian government 'has re-established control over eastern Aleppo'

The Syrian government has "re-established control over eastern Aleppo" and all military operations have been ceased to allow civilians and rebel fighters to leave the city, the Russian ambassador to the UN said Tuesday. An agreement was reached between the rebels and President Bashar al-Assad's government Tuesday to let the rebels leave, AFP reported. "In the process of that, the military operations stopped. There is no need for military operations because they are leaving," he said. "The bottom line is -- if everything is okay -- that means that the fighting around eastern Aleppo is over," Churkin said. Several green and white buses arrived at the evacuation point of Ramouseh on Wednesday to start the evacuation process, Reuters reported. Churkin said the rebels "are currently going through agreed corridors, going in directions they have chosen themselves voluntarily including towards Idlib," the rebels stronghold. "According to the latest information that we received in the last hour, military actions in eastern Aleppo are over, so there is no issue of some cessation of hostilities or some special humanitarian operation," he said. However, several AFP journalists in the government-held area of Aleppo were supposed to be evacuated, said evacuation process had not been started as of 2000 GMT. US wants observers in Aleppo UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Russia and Iran to "urgently allow the remaining civilians to escape the area" and provide aid to those left in the city. The UN secuirty council held an emergency meeting at the request of France and Britain following UN reports that at least 82 people, including 11 women and 13 children, were killed in four neighbourhoods as the fighting came to an end. Churkin denied the report claiming Russian officials had investigated the allegations. The Syrian government refused to let UN officials enter Aleppo and verify the report. US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said countries should send observers to "oversee the safe evacuation of the people who wish to leave but who, justifiably fear that if they try, they will be shot in the street or carted off to one of Assad's gulags." More than 300,000 people have been killed since March 2011 and over half of the population displaced. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Syria: Fighting in east Aleppo over as rebels reach deal with government to evacuate city

Outgoing UN chief Ban ki-Moon expressed alarm over the humanitarian situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

<meta charset="utf-8" />

&ldquo;The secretary-general is alarmed over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, in recent hours in Aleppo,&quot; a spokesperson for Ban ki-Moon said. &nbsp;

&quot;While stressing that the United Nations is not able to independently verify these reports, the secretary-general is conveying his grave concern to the relevant parties,&quot; AFP quoted Stephane Dujarric as saying.

Ban has urged all sides, particularly Syria&#39;s government and its allies, to protect civilians, the BBC reported.

AFP reported that the rebels have now lost more than 90 per cent of eastern Aleppo, territory that they used to hold.

&ldquo;The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don&rsquo;t have much time. They either have to surrender or die,&rdquo; said Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the Syrian government&rsquo;s local security committee, according to the Guardian.

Tens of thousands of civilians are also believed to be in the rebel enclave, according to the BBC.

An AFP correspondent in government-held west Aleppo said celebratory gunfire could be heard late Monday.

The fall of Aleppo would be a massive blow to the rebels, and leave the government in control of the country&#39;s five major cities.

Ban will step down as secretary-general at the end of the year, completing a 10-year tenure, and will be replaced by Antonio Guterres, who was sworn in Monday.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Outgoing UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged all sides, particularly Syria's government and its allies, to protect civilians

Outgoing UN chief Ban ki-Moon expressed alarm over the humanitarian situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, news agency AFP reported. “The secretary-general is alarmed over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, in recent hours in Aleppo," a spokesperson for Ban ki-Moon said. "While stressing that the United Nations is not able to independently verify these reports, the secretary-general is conveying his grave concern to the relevant parties," AFP quoted Stephane Dujarric as saying. Ban has urged all sides, particularly Syria's government and its allies, to protect civilians, the BBC reported. AFP reported that the rebels have now lost more than 90 per cent of eastern Aleppo, territory that they used to hold. “The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don’t have much time. They either have to surrender or die,” said Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the Syrian government’s local security committee, according to the Guardian. Tens of thousands of civilians are also believed to be in the rebel enclave, according to the BBC. An AFP correspondent in government-held west Aleppo said celebratory gunfire could be heard late Monday. The fall of Aleppo would be a massive blow to the rebels, and leave the government in control of the country's five major cities. Ban will step down as secretary-general at the end of the year, completing a 10-year tenure, and will be replaced by Antonio Guterres, who was sworn in Monday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

UN chief alarmed by reports of atrocities against civilians in Aleppo

The Syrian army and its allies are in the &quot;last moments before declaring victory&quot; in Aleppo, a Syrian military source said, after rebel defences collapsed on Monday, leaving insurgents in a tiny, heavily bombarded pocket of ground.

A Reuters journalist in the government-held zone said the bombardment of rebel areas of the city continued non-stop on Monday, and a civilian trapped there described the situation as resembling &quot;Doomsday&quot;.

&quot;The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don&#39;t have much time. They either have to surrender or die,&quot; Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the government&#39;s Aleppo security committee, told reporters in the recaptured Sheikh Saeed district of the city.

Rebels withdrew from all districts on the east side of the Aleppo river on Monday afternoon after losing Sheikh Saeed in the south of their pocket in overnight fighting, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

In government-held districts, soldiers started to fire into the air in celebration, carving tracer bullets into Aleppo&#39;s night sky, and car drivers honked their horns at what they believed was imminent victory, state television showed.

The rebels&#39; rapidly diminishing enclave had halved in only a few hours and Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman described the battle for Aleppo as having reached its end.

&quot;The situation is extremely difficult today,&quot; said Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group fighting in Aleppo.

An official from Jabha Shamiya, a rebel faction that is also present in Aleppo, said the insurgents might make a new stand along the west bank of the river.

&quot;It is expected there will be a new front line,&quot; said the official, who is based in Turkey.

The White Helmets civil defence organisation and three other trapped aid groups made a desperate appeal for the international community to arrange safe passage for 100,000 civilians across a 4-km (2.5-mile) stretch of government-held territory.

&quot;If we stay, we fear for our lives. The women may be taken to camps, the men disappeared and anyone who is known to have supported civilians will face detention or execution,&quot; they said in a statement time stamped 9 p.m. (1900 GMT).

Activists and two residents inside the remaining rebel enclave said at least 79 civilians were summarily executed in the Fardous and Saliheen districts by pro-government militias.

&quot;There are more than 100 corpses and others who could be still alive under the rubble whom no one is able to get to,&quot; said civil defence chief Ammar al Selmo.

UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was alarmed by unverified reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, Ban&#39;s spokesman said.

Jan Egeland, the UN&nbsp;humanitarian adviser on Syria, tweeted that Russia&#39;s and Syria&#39;s governments would be responsible for any such abuses.

&quot;The Gov&#39;ts of Syria &amp; Russia are accountable for any and all atrocities that the victorious militias in Aleppo are now committing!,&quot; Egeland wrote.

The rebels&#39; sudden retreat represented a &quot;big collapse in terrorist morale&quot;, a Syrian military source said.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, is now close to taking back full control of Aleppo, which was Syria&#39;s most populous city before the war and would be his greatest prize so far after nearly six years of conflict.

&quot;We are in the final moments before declaring the victory of the Arab Syrian army in the battle of East Aleppo. We could announce this any moment,&quot; the military source told Reuters.

The Russian Defence Ministry said that since the start of the Aleppo battle, more than 2,200 rebels had surrendered and 100,000 civilians had left areas of the city that were controlled by militants.

&quot;People run from one shelling to another to escape death and just to save their souls. ... It&#39;s doomsday in Aleppo, yes doomsday in Aleppo,&quot; said Abu Amer Iqab, a former government employee in the Sukkari district in the heart of the rebel enclave.

State television footage from Saliheen, one of the districts that had just fallen to the army, showed mounds of rubble and half-collapsed buildings, with bodies still lying on the ground and a few bewildered civilians carrying children or suitcases.

Rebels

While Aleppo&#39;s fall would deal a stunning blow to rebels trying to remove Assad from power, he would still be far from restoring control across Syria. Swathes of the country remain in rebel hands, and Islamic State retook Palmyra on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of civilians remain in rebel-held areas, hemmed in by ever-changing front lines, pounded by air strikes and shelling, and without basic supplies, according to the Observatory, a British-based monitoring group.

In the Sheikh Saeed district, an elderly couple stood lamenting their fate.

&quot;May every son return to his mother. I have suffered that loss. May other women not endure the same,&quot; said the woman, her arms raised to the sky. &quot;I have lost my three children. Two died in battle and the third is kidnapped,&quot; she added, as an army officer attempted to calm her.

Rebel groups in Aleppo received a US-Russian proposal on Sunday for a withdrawal of fighters and civilians from the city&#39;s opposition areas, but Moscow said no agreement had been reached yet in talks in Geneva to end the crisis peacefully.

The US&nbsp;State Department said Russia had turned down the US&nbsp;proposal for an immediate ceasefire and said it could not start for several days.

The UN&nbsp;mediator for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, met with US&nbsp;Secretary of State John Kerry and other State Department officials on Monday, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said.

&quot;During their discussions, Department officials stressed the US&#39; unwavering commitment to a de-escalation of violence, the safe departure of Aleppo for all who want to leave, delivery of critical humanitarian aid and future inta-Syrian talks for a political solution to the crisis,&quot; Toner said.

Fighting

The Syrian army is backed by Russian war planes and Lebanese and Iraqi Shi&#39;ite militias supported by Iran. Its advances on Monday were aided by a militia of Palestinian refugees in Syria, the Liwa al-Quds or Jerusalem Brigade, the general said.

The mostly Sunni rebels include groups backed by the United States, Turkey and Gulf monarchies as well as hardline jihadists who are not supported by the West.

A correspondent for Syria&#39;s official SANA news agency said the army had taken control of Sheikh Saeed, and more than 3,500 people had left at dawn.

A Syrian official told Reuters: &quot;We managed to take full control of the Sheikh Saeed district. This area is very important because it facilitates access to al-Amariya and allows us to secure a greater part of the Aleppo-Ramousah road.&quot; The road is the main entry point to the city from the south.

Riad Hijab, Syria&#39;s chief opposition coordinator, said the rebels&#39; defeat in Aleppo would not weaken the resolve of Assad&#39;s opponents, or push them to water down the demand that he quit.

&quot;If Assad and his allies think that a military advance in certain quarters of Aleppo will signify that we make concessions, then (I say) that will not happen,&quot; he told reporters after meeting French President Francois Hollande.

The loss of Palmyra, an ancient desert city whose recapture from Islamic State in March was heralded by Damascus and Moscow as vindicating Russia&#39;s entry into the war, was an embarrassing setback to Assad.

The Observatory reported that the jihadist group carried out eight executions of Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in Palmyra on Monday while warplanes bombarded their positions around the city.

Still, Islamic State made further advances around Palmyra, it and the Observatory said on Monday, including coming close to a military air base.

Four other people, including two children, were shot dead while the jihadists cleared the city, the Observatory said.

It said at least 34 people had died in air raids on an Islamic State-held village north of Palmyra, and that local officials said poison gas had been used. Islamic State accused Russia of the attack. Both Russia and Syria&#39;s military deny using chemical weapons.

The Observatory said that four weeks into the army offensive in Aleppo, at least 415 civilians, including 47 children, had been killed in rebel-held parts of the city.

It added that 364 rebel fighters had been killed in the eastern sector. It said rebel shelling of government-held west Aleppo had killed 130 civilians including 40 children.

(Reuters)

Rebel defences collapsed on Monday, leaving insurgents in a tiny, heavily bombarded pocket of ground

The Syrian army and its allies are in the "last moments before declaring victory" in Aleppo, a Syrian military source said, after rebel defences collapsed on Monday, leaving insurgents in a tiny, heavily bombarded pocket of ground. A Reuters journalist in the government-held zone said the bombardment of rebel areas of the city continued non-stop on Monday, and a civilian trapped there described the situation as resembling "Doomsday". "The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don't have much time. They either have to surrender or die," Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the government's Aleppo security committee, told reporters in the recaptured Sheikh Saeed district of the city. Rebels withdrew from all districts on the east side of the Aleppo river on Monday afternoon after losing Sheikh Saeed in the south of their pocket in overnight fighting, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. In government-held districts, soldiers started to fire into the air in celebration, carving tracer bullets into Aleppo's night sky, and car drivers honked their horns at what they believed was imminent victory, state television showed. The rebels' rapidly diminishing enclave had halved in only a few hours and Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman described the battle for Aleppo as having reached its end. "The situation is extremely difficult today," said Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim rebel group fighting in Aleppo. An official from Jabha Shamiya, a rebel faction that is also present in Aleppo, said the insurgents might make a new stand along the west bank of the river. "It is expected there will be a new front line," said the official, who is based in Turkey. The White Helmets civil defence organisation and three other trapped aid groups made a desperate appeal for the international community to arrange safe passage for 100,000 civilians across a 4-km (2.5-mile) stretch of government-held territory. "If we stay, we fear for our lives. The women may be taken to camps, the men disappeared and anyone who is known to have supported civilians will face detention or execution," they said in a statement time stamped 9 p.m. (1900 GMT). Activists and two residents inside the remaining rebel enclave said at least 79 civilians were summarily executed in the Fardous and Saliheen districts by pro-government militias. "There are more than 100 corpses and others who could be still alive under the rubble whom no one is able to get to," said civil defence chief Ammar al Selmo. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was alarmed by unverified reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, Ban's spokesman said. Jan Egeland, the UN humanitarian adviser on Syria, tweeted that Russia's and Syria's governments would be responsible for any such abuses. "The Gov'ts of Syria & Russia are accountable for any and all atrocities that the victorious militias in Aleppo are now committing!," Egeland wrote. The rebels' sudden retreat represented a "big collapse in terrorist morale", a Syrian military source said. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russia, is now close to taking back full control of Aleppo, which was Syria's most populous city before the war and would be his greatest prize so far after nearly six years of conflict. "We are in the final moments before declaring the victory of the Arab Syrian army in the battle of East Aleppo. We could announce this any moment," the military source told Reuters. The Russian Defence Ministry said that since the start of the Aleppo battle, more than 2,200 rebels had surrendered and 100,000 civilians had left areas of the city that were controlled by militants. "People run from one shelling to another to escape death and just to save their souls. ... It's doomsday in Aleppo, yes doomsday in Aleppo," said Abu Amer Iqab, a former government employee in the Sukkari district in the heart of the rebel enclave. State television footage from Saliheen, one of the districts that had just fallen to the army, showed mounds of rubble and half-collapsed buildings, with bodies still lying on the ground and a few bewildered civilians carrying children or suitcases. Rebels While Aleppo's fall would deal a stunning blow to rebels trying to remove Assad from power, he would still be far from restoring control across Syria. Swathes of the country remain in rebel hands, and Islamic State retook Palmyra on Sunday. Tens of thousands of civilians remain in rebel-held areas, hemmed in by ever-changing front lines, pounded by air strikes and shelling, and without basic supplies, according to the Observatory, a British-based monitoring group. In the Sheikh Saeed district, an elderly couple stood lamenting their fate. "May every son return to his mother. I have suffered that loss. May other women not endure the same," said the woman, her arms raised to the sky. "I have lost my three children. Two died in battle and the third is kidnapped," she added, as an army officer attempted to calm her. Rebel groups in Aleppo received a US-Russian proposal on Sunday for a withdrawal of fighters and civilians from the city's opposition areas, but Moscow said no agreement had been reached yet in talks in Geneva to end the crisis peacefully. The US State Department said Russia had turned down the US proposal for an immediate ceasefire and said it could not start for several days. The UN mediator for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, met with US Secretary of State John Kerry and other State Department officials on Monday, State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. "During their discussions, Department officials stressed the US' unwavering commitment to a de-escalation of violence, the safe departure of Aleppo for all who want to leave, delivery of critical humanitarian aid and future inta-Syrian talks for a political solution to the crisis," Toner said. Fighting The Syrian army is backed by Russian war planes and Lebanese and Iraqi Shi'ite militias supported by Iran. Its advances on Monday were aided by a militia of Palestinian refugees in Syria, the Liwa al-Quds or Jerusalem Brigade, the general said. The mostly Sunni rebels include groups backed by the United States, Turkey and Gulf monarchies as well as hardline jihadists who are not supported by the West. A correspondent for Syria's official SANA news agency said the army had taken control of Sheikh Saeed, and more than 3,500 people had left at dawn. A Syrian official told Reuters: "We managed to take full control of the Sheikh Saeed district. This area is very important because it facilitates access to al-Amariya and allows us to secure a greater part of the Aleppo-Ramousah road." The road is the main entry point to the city from the south. Riad Hijab, Syria's chief opposition coordinator, said the rebels' defeat in Aleppo would not weaken the resolve of Assad's opponents, or push them to water down the demand that he quit. "If Assad and his allies think that a military advance in certain quarters of Aleppo will signify that we make concessions, then (I say) that will not happen," he told reporters after meeting French President Francois Hollande. The loss of Palmyra, an ancient desert city whose recapture from Islamic State in March was heralded by Damascus and Moscow as vindicating Russia's entry into the war, was an embarrassing setback to Assad. The Observatory reported that the jihadist group carried out eight executions of Syrian soldiers and allied militiamen in Palmyra on Monday while warplanes bombarded their positions around the city. Still, Islamic State made further advances around Palmyra, it and the Observatory said on Monday, including coming close to a military air base. Four other people, including two children, were shot dead while the jihadists cleared the city, the Observatory said. It said at least 34 people had died in air raids on an Islamic State-held village north of Palmyra, and that local officials said poison gas had been used. Islamic State accused Russia of the attack. Both Russia and Syria's military deny using chemical weapons. The Observatory said that four weeks into the army offensive in Aleppo, at least 415 civilians, including 47 children, had been killed in rebel-held parts of the city. It added that 364 rebel fighters had been killed in the eastern sector. It said rebel shelling of government-held west Aleppo had killed 130 civilians including 40 children. (Reuters)

Aleppo offensive in final stages, says Syrian general

Syria&#39;s pro-Assad forces and militias under Iranian command captured about 90 per cent of the opposition-held areas of eastern Aleppo, The Daily Beast reports.

The rebels are withdrawing in defeat, as the last chance at receiving reinforcements and supplies seems to be about nil as pro-regime forces have cut off the supply lines, The Daily Beast reports.

Today has seen intense bombings of houses and apartment buildings, and the destruction is reported to be on such an enormous scale that the death toll for now cannot be calculated, and&nbsp;the neighbourhoods of Bustan al-Qasr, al-Kallasa, al-Farod and al-Salhin in the Old City, as well as Sheikh Saed, in the southern district, are all now under regime control, The Daily Beast reports.

The White Helmets, or&nbsp;Syrian Civil Defense, an internationally renowned team of first responders, said more than 90 bodies of people presumed to be still alive are under debris, and that its volunteer staff reported they could hear&nbsp;children trapped in the rubbles of their houses, The Daily Beast reports.

Opposition media have circulated unconfirmed reports that atrocities have already begun, such as the summary execution of civilians including women and children, The Daily Beast reports.&nbsp;

These reports could not be independetly verified by The Daily Beast or WION.

However, UNHCR spokesperson Rupert Colville said, &quot;In all, as of yesterday evening, we have received reports of pro-Government forces killing at least 82 civilians (including 11 women and 13 children) in four different neighbourhoods -- Bustan al-Qasr, al-Ferdous, al-Kallaseh, and al-Saleheen.&quot;

The official Syrian news agency SANA claimed that eight people were killed and 47 were injured in regime-held Aleppo after opposition fighters bombed the city. Most of the victims were women and children, according to the agency.

Reuters reported a military source as saying that the last rebel pocked could fall &quot;any moment&quot;.

Some Syrian residents and activists&nbsp;spent the day<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-activists-tweet-final-goodbyes-as-aleppo-offensive-nears-end-10097"> on social media saying goodbye</a>, warning that they were about to be killed.

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The Syrian army and its allies are in the &quot;Final stages&quot; of recapturing Aleppo after a sudden advance that has pushed rebels to the brink of collapse (WION)
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(WION)

The United Nations has reports 82 people were 'summarily shot dead' in recaptured neighbourhoods

Syria's pro-Assad forces and militias under Iranian command captured about 90 per cent of the opposition-held areas of eastern Aleppo, The Daily Beast reports. The rebels are withdrawing in defeat, as the last chance at receiving reinforcements and supplies seems to be about nil as pro-regime forces have cut off the supply lines, The Daily Beast reports. Today has seen intense bombings of houses and apartment buildings, and the destruction is reported to be on such an enormous scale that the death toll for now cannot be calculated, and the neighbourhoods of Bustan al-Qasr, al-Kallasa, al-Farod and al-Salhin in the Old City, as well as Sheikh Saed, in the southern district, are all now under regime control, The Daily Beast reports. The White Helmets, or Syrian Civil Defense, an internationally renowned team of first responders, said more than 90 bodies of people presumed to be still alive are under debris, and that its volunteer staff reported they could hear children trapped in the rubbles of their houses, The Daily Beast reports. Opposition media have circulated unconfirmed reports that atrocities have already begun, such as the summary execution of civilians including women and children, The Daily Beast reports. These reports could not be independetly verified by The Daily Beast or WION. However, UNHCR spokesperson Rupert Colville said, "In all, as of yesterday evening, we have received reports of pro-Government forces killing at least 82 civilians (including 11 women and 13 children) in four different neighbourhoods -- Bustan al-Qasr, al-Ferdous, al-Kallaseh, and al-Saleheen." The official Syrian news agency SANA claimed that eight people were killed and 47 were injured in regime-held Aleppo after opposition fighters bombed the city. Most of the victims were women and children, according to the agency. Reuters reported a military source as saying that the last rebel pocked could fall "any moment". Some Syrian residents and activists spent the day on social media saying goodbye, warning that they were about to be killed. The Syrian army and its allies are in the "Final stages" of recapturing Aleppo after a sudden advance that has pushed rebels to the brink of collapse (WION) × (WION)

Assad's forces seize Aleppo, The Daily Beast claims 'butchering' civilians

The US-led coalition has killed at least 50,000 Islamic State fighters since it began operation&nbsp;in Iraq and Syria in 2014,a senior military official said on Thursday.

The operation by a dozen or so members of the anti-IS coalition has used planes and drones, conducting about 16,000 strikes against jihadists in&nbsp;Iraq and Syria,news agency &nbsp;AFP reported. Two-thirds of these strikes have been in Iraq.

The coalition has also provided training and weapons to local forces fighting the IS.

&quot;I am not into morbid counts but that kind of volume matters, that kind of impact on the enemy,&quot; the official said, according to AFP, calling the 50,000 number a conservative estimate.

The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the air campaign had been the &quot;most pristine&quot; ever in terms of avoiding civilian casualties.

He said almost all the bombs dropped till now have been &nbsp;smart weapons that can be steered to a precise target.

The coalition&rsquo;s count of civilians killed in the strikes is 173. Critics, however, say the real figure is far higher.

London-based collective of journalists and researchers, Airwars,say the number of likely civilian deaths from coalition strikes is 1,957 at a bare minimum, AFP reported.

The military official said the coalition had diminished IS&rsquo;s ranks to such a level that&nbsp;simultaneous attacks being waged on Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria have been possible.

Coalition spokesman Colonel John Dorrian had earlier said that in Mosul, IS was turning to adolescent fighters as its hardcore warriors got wiped out.

&quot;As this effort goes on with each passing day, Daesh(IS) has fewer fighters and fewer resources at their disposal,&quot; Dorrian said in a videocall, AFP reported.

He also said that &nbsp;jihadists seem to have run out of armoured suicide car bombs, and estimated &quot;many hundreds&quot; of fighters had been killed in Mosul.

&quot;It doesn&rsquo;t mean that it&rsquo;s not still an extraordinarily dangerous situation. They are not going to go quietly, but they are going to go.&quot;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

About 16,000 air strikes have been conducted by the US-led coalition against IS jihadists since late 2014

The US-led coalition has killed at least 50,000 Islamic State fighters since it began operation in Iraq and Syria in 2014,a senior military official said on Thursday. The operation by a dozen or so members of the anti-IS coalition has used planes and drones, conducting about 16,000 strikes against jihadists in Iraq and Syria,news agency AFP reported. Two-thirds of these strikes have been in Iraq. The coalition has also provided training and weapons to local forces fighting the IS. "I am not into morbid counts but that kind of volume matters, that kind of impact on the enemy," the official said, according to AFP, calling the 50,000 number a conservative estimate. The official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the air campaign had been the "most pristine" ever in terms of avoiding civilian casualties. He said almost all the bombs dropped till now have been smart weapons that can be steered to a precise target. The coalition’s count of civilians killed in the strikes is 173. Critics, however, say the real figure is far higher. London-based collective of journalists and researchers, Airwars,say the number of likely civilian deaths from coalition strikes is 1,957 at a bare minimum, AFP reported. The military official said the coalition had diminished IS’s ranks to such a level that simultaneous attacks being waged on Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria have been possible. Coalition spokesman Colonel John Dorrian had earlier said that in Mosul, IS was turning to adolescent fighters as its hardcore warriors got wiped out. "As this effort goes on with each passing day, Daesh(IS) has fewer fighters and fewer resources at their disposal," Dorrian said in a videocall, AFP reported. He also said that jihadists seem to have run out of armoured suicide car bombs, and estimated "many hundreds" of fighters had been killed in Mosul. "It doesn’t mean that it’s not still an extraordinarily dangerous situation. They are not going to go quietly, but they are going to go." (WION with inputs from AFP)

At least 50,000 Islamic State fighters killed in Iraq and Syria since 2014: US official

&nbsp;As many as 10,500 people have left eastern Aleppo in the last 24 hours, Russian Defence Ministry official Sergei Rudskoi said on Friday.

In comments broadcast on state television, Rudskoi said the Syrian army had taken 93 per cent of Aleppo and freed 52 blocks from opposition fighters. He said the Russian and Syrian air forces had not operated over the city since October 18.

(Reuters)

Russian Defence Ministry official Sergei Rudskoi said the Syrian army had taken 93 per cent of Aleppo

As many as 10,500 people have left eastern Aleppo in the last 24 hours, Russian Defence Ministry official Sergei Rudskoi said on Friday. In comments broadcast on state television, Rudskoi said the Syrian army had taken 93 per cent of Aleppo and freed 52 blocks from opposition fighters. He said the Russian and Syrian air forces had not operated over the city since October 18. (Reuters)

Russia says 10,500 people have left eastern Aleppo in last 24 hours

The Syrian army has suspended its attack on Syria&rsquo;s Aleppo to allow the evacuation of civilians, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

&quot;I can tell you that today, combat operations by the Syrian army have been halted in eastern Aleppo because there is a large operation underway to evacuate civilians,&quot; he said in Hamburg, Germany,Russian news agencies reported.

&quot;There is going to be to a column of 8,000 evacuees&quot; travelling five kilometers (3 miles), Lavrov added, attending a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the announcement was &quot;an indication that something positive could happen&quot;, news agency AFP reported.

Lavrov also &nbsp;announced that US-Russia military and diplomatic discussions would take place in Geneva on Saturday &quot;to end the work... to define the means of resolving the problems of east Aleppo&quot;.

According to Lavrov, The discussions would involve studying plans to evacuate civilians and fighters wanting to leave.

Rebel fighters are struggling to their last strongholds in their control.

Lavrov&rsquo;s statement came after six countries including the US called for an immediate ceasefire citing a humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo and called on Russia and Iran to use their influence on the Syrian regime to secure a truce.

&nbsp;

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(WION with inputs from AFP)

8,000 people are expected to leave as large operations underway to evacuate civilians

The Syrian army has suspended its attack on Syria’s Aleppo to allow the evacuation of civilians, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday. "I can tell you that today, combat operations by the Syrian army have been halted in eastern Aleppo because there is a large operation underway to evacuate civilians," he said in Hamburg, Germany,Russian news agencies reported. "There is going to be to a column of 8,000 evacuees" travelling five kilometers (3 miles), Lavrov added, attending a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the announcement was "an indication that something positive could happen", news agency AFP reported. Lavrov also announced that US-Russia military and diplomatic discussions would take place in Geneva on Saturday "to end the work... to define the means of resolving the problems of east Aleppo". According to Lavrov, The discussions would involve studying plans to evacuate civilians and fighters wanting to leave. Rebel fighters are struggling to their last strongholds in their control. Lavrov’s statement came after six countries including the US called for an immediate ceasefire citing a humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo and called on Russia and Iran to use their influence on the Syrian regime to secure a truce. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Syrian air strikes on Aleppo halted: Russian foreign minister

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov failed to make progress on a Syria truce in talks in Germany early Thursday, an American official said.

Kerry and Lavrov met twice Thursday on the margins of a foreign ministers&#39; meeting of the 57-member Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said a US official.

Their meetings lasted 10 minutes each and &quot;no progress, no conclusion were reached on Aleppo&quot;, the devastated north Syrian city where Russia-backed regime troops are battling rebel forces, the official said.

However, leaving the talks with Lavrov in the northern German city of Hamburg, Kerry told Russian journalists that he remained hopeful and would continue to work for a solution.

Moscow launched an air war in support of Assad&#39;s forces last year, while Washington has supported rebel forces battling the regime.

On Wednesday the United States, Britain and France led a joint call for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid to reach Aleppo, in an appeal backed by Canada, Germany and Italy.

Kerry said at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday that he would work for a relaunch of peace talks between the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad and the opposition, with the help of Russia.

&quot;Russia says Assad is ready to come to the table ... and I am in favour of putting that to the test,&quot; Kerry said in Brussels.

Lavrov said in Hamburg on Wednesday, before a meeting with Kerry, that Russia backed a US proposal made on December 2 involving a rebel withdrawal from eastern Aleppo, which Moscow has accused Washington of since backtracking on.

Kerry has denied any change of plans and Washington itself has accused Moscow of stalling after Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution on Monday calling for a seven-day ceasefire.

Kerry will on Saturday take part in a Paris meeting on Syria organised by his French, German and Qatari counterparts, the State Department said. 
 
(AFP)

The US, Britain and France earlier led a joint call for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid to reach Aleppo

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov failed to make progress on a Syria truce in talks in Germany early Thursday, an American official said. Kerry and Lavrov met twice Thursday on the margins of a foreign ministers' meeting of the 57-member Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said a US official. Their meetings lasted 10 minutes each and "no progress, no conclusion were reached on Aleppo", the devastated north Syrian city where Russia-backed regime troops are battling rebel forces, the official said. However, leaving the talks with Lavrov in the northern German city of Hamburg, Kerry told Russian journalists that he remained hopeful and would continue to work for a solution. Moscow launched an air war in support of Assad's forces last year, while Washington has supported rebel forces battling the regime. On Wednesday the United States, Britain and France led a joint call for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid to reach Aleppo, in an appeal backed by Canada, Germany and Italy. Kerry said at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday that he would work for a relaunch of peace talks between the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad and the opposition, with the help of Russia. "Russia says Assad is ready to come to the table ... and I am in favour of putting that to the test," Kerry said in Brussels. Lavrov said in Hamburg on Wednesday, before a meeting with Kerry, that Russia backed a US proposal made on December 2 involving a rebel withdrawal from eastern Aleppo, which Moscow has accused Washington of since backtracking on. Kerry has denied any change of plans and Washington itself has accused Moscow of stalling after Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution on Monday calling for a seven-day ceasefire. Kerry will on Saturday take part in a Paris meeting on Syria organised by his French, German and Qatari counterparts, the State Department said. (AFP)

US, Russia talks on Aleppo ceasefire deadlocked

Syria&rsquo;s army and allies pushed into rebel-held parts of Aleppo&#39;s Old City on Tuesday, a monitoring group said, looking closer than ever to achieving their most important victory of the five-year-old civil war by driving rebels out of their last urban stronghold.

A rebel official said they would never abandon Aleppo, after reports that US and Russian diplomats were preparing to discuss the surrender and evacuation of insurgents from territory they have held for years.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said talks with the United States on a rebel withdrawal would begin in Geneva as soon as Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.&nbsp;

But sources familiar with the plans later told Reuters no talks would take place this week in the Swiss city.

The rebels, who controlled large parts of eastern Aleppo for nearly five years, have lost around two thirds of their territory in the city over the past two weeks.

Government forces entered rebel-held parts of the Old City late on Tuesday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported.&nbsp;

A rebel official denied they had entered but said the army and its allies were trying to enter and battles continued.

A military source said troops were &quot;advancing in that direction&quot;.

The government now appears closer to victory in the city than at any point since 2012, the year after rebels took up arms to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad in a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, made more than half of Syrians homeless and created the world&#39;s worst refugee crisis.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it would now accept no truce in Aleppo, should any outside parties try to negotiate one. Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Monday calling for a week-long ceasefire. Moscow said rebels used such pauses in the past to reinforce.

Tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped in rebel-held districts of Aleppo, reduced to a few kilometres (miles) across. The United Nations, whose staff are restricted to government-controlled areas of the city, on Tuesday described &quot;a very disastrous situation in eastern Aleppo&quot;.

&quot;There has been heavy shelling on us, there are massacres (of civilians), there&#39;s no electricity and little internet access,&quot; said Abu Youssef, a resident of one of the areas still held by the fighters.

Damascus and Moscow have been calling on rebels to withdraw from the city, disarm and accept safe passage out, a procedure that has been carried out in other areas where rebels abandoned besieged territory in recent months. Moscow wants negotiations with Washington to facilitate such an evacuation.

But despite Lavrov&#39;s announcement of a meeting in Geneva, a US official said firm plans for talks had never been set, though Washington was still working to reopen negotiations.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not going to negotiate this publicly,&rdquo; the official said on condition of anonymity.

Rebels have told US officials they will not withdraw, and said there had been no more formal contact with Washington on the topic since last week.

&quot;The Americans asked if we wanted to leave or to stay ... we said this is our city, and we will defend it,&quot; Zakaria Malahifji, a Turkey-based official for the Fastaqim rebel group, told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Cold War-era super powers have backed opposing sides in the war, but Russia has intervened far more openly and decisively, joining Iran as well as Iraqi and Lebanese Shi&#39;ite groups to back Assad.

Some of the groups fighting in eastern Aleppo have received support in a US-backed military aid programme to rebels deemed moderate by the West.&nbsp;

However, this has been minimal compared to massive Russian air support to aid Assad&#39;s government, which has turned the tide of the war in his favour over the past year.

The army said it had taken over areas to the east of the Old City including al-Shaar, Marja and Karm al-Qaterji, bringing them closer to cutting off another pocket of rebel control.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said al-Shaar and some other areas had been taken, but did not immediately confirm the takeover of all the areas announced by the army.&nbsp;

A Turkey-based rebel official denied al-Shaar had been taken but said fighting continued in the neighbourhood.

Outside of Aleppo, the government and its allies are also putting severe pressure on remaining rebel redoubts.&nbsp;

The Observatory said a heavy Syrian and Russian aerial bombardment in the last three days in the mostly rebel-held Idlib province to the southwest had killed more than 100 people. &nbsp;

Winter is coming

The rebels&#39; loss of the eastern half of Aleppo, Syria&#39;s largest city before the war, would be the biggest victory of the conflict so far for Assad, securing his grip on all Syria&#39;s main cities.

It would also be a success for President Vladimir Putin who intervened to save Moscow&#39;s ally in September 2015 with air strikes, and for Shi&#39;ite Iran, whose elite Islamic Republic Guard Corps has suffered casualties fighting for Assad.

UN official Jens Laerke said: &quot;Winter is approaching, it&#39;s already getting very, very cold so that has come up as a priority need ... Food is running out, the little food that is available is being sold at extremely inflated prices.&quot;

While rebels have said they will not leave, one opposition official, who declined to be identified, conceded they may have no alternative for the sake of civilians who have been under siege for five months and faced relentless government assaults.

Insurgents, meanwhile, have fought back ferociously inside Aleppo. Some of the fighting took place on Monday within a kilometre (half a mile) of the ancient citadel, a large fortress built on a mound, and around the historic Old City.

With narrow alleyways, big mansions and covered markets, the ancient city of Aleppo became a UNESCO heritage site in 1986. Many historic buildings have been destroyed in the fighting.

Apart from their support for rebels fighting against Assad, Western countries are also taking part in a US-led air campaign against Islamic State, the Sunni Muslim militant group which broke away from other anti-Assad groups to proclaim a caliphate in territory in Syria and neighbouring Iraq.

Moscow says helping Assad is the best way to defeat Islamic State. Western countries say the group gains strength from the fury unleashed by Assad&#39;s military crackdown on his enemies.

France, a staunch backer of the anti-Assad opposition, will convene foreign ministers of like-minded countries in Paris on Saturday to try to come up with some form of strategy in the wake of the Aleppo onslaught, although few diplomats expect anything concrete to be achieved.

Western countries say that even if government forces take Aleppo, they will still not be able to end the conflict, as long as millions of Syrians see the government as a brutal enemy.

&quot;Aleppo falls, but the war goes on,&quot; said one US official.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The rebels have lost around two-thirds of their territory in the city over the past two weeks

Syria’s army and allies pushed into rebel-held parts of Aleppo's Old City on Tuesday, a monitoring group said, looking closer than ever to achieving their most important victory of the five-year-old civil war by driving rebels out of their last urban stronghold. A rebel official said they would never abandon Aleppo, after reports that US and Russian diplomats were preparing to discuss the surrender and evacuation of insurgents from territory they have held for years. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said talks with the United States on a rebel withdrawal would begin in Geneva as soon as Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. But sources familiar with the plans later told Reuters no talks would take place this week in the Swiss city. The rebels, who controlled large parts of eastern Aleppo for nearly five years, have lost around two thirds of their territory in the city over the past two weeks. Government forces entered rebel-held parts of the Old City late on Tuesday, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported. A rebel official denied they had entered but said the army and its allies were trying to enter and battles continued. A military source said troops were "advancing in that direction". The government now appears closer to victory in the city than at any point since 2012, the year after rebels took up arms to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad in a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, made more than half of Syrians homeless and created the world's worst refugee crisis. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it would now accept no truce in Aleppo, should any outside parties try to negotiate one. Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Monday calling for a week-long ceasefire. Moscow said rebels used such pauses in the past to reinforce. Tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped in rebel-held districts of Aleppo, reduced to a few kilometres (miles) across. The United Nations, whose staff are restricted to government-controlled areas of the city, on Tuesday described "a very disastrous situation in eastern Aleppo". "There has been heavy shelling on us, there are massacres (of civilians), there's no electricity and little internet access," said Abu Youssef, a resident of one of the areas still held by the fighters. Damascus and Moscow have been calling on rebels to withdraw from the city, disarm and accept safe passage out, a procedure that has been carried out in other areas where rebels abandoned besieged territory in recent months. Moscow wants negotiations with Washington to facilitate such an evacuation. But despite Lavrov's announcement of a meeting in Geneva, a US official said firm plans for talks had never been set, though Washington was still working to reopen negotiations. “We’re not going to negotiate this publicly,” the official said on condition of anonymity. Rebels have told US officials they will not withdraw, and said there had been no more formal contact with Washington on the topic since last week. "The Americans asked if we wanted to leave or to stay ... we said this is our city, and we will defend it," Zakaria Malahifji, a Turkey-based official for the Fastaqim rebel group, told Reuters on Tuesday. The Cold War-era super powers have backed opposing sides in the war, but Russia has intervened far more openly and decisively, joining Iran as well as Iraqi and Lebanese Shi'ite groups to back Assad. Some of the groups fighting in eastern Aleppo have received support in a US-backed military aid programme to rebels deemed moderate by the West. However, this has been minimal compared to massive Russian air support to aid Assad's government, which has turned the tide of the war in his favour over the past year. The army said it had taken over areas to the east of the Old City including al-Shaar, Marja and Karm al-Qaterji, bringing them closer to cutting off another pocket of rebel control. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said al-Shaar and some other areas had been taken, but did not immediately confirm the takeover of all the areas announced by the army. A Turkey-based rebel official denied al-Shaar had been taken but said fighting continued in the neighbourhood. Outside of Aleppo, the government and its allies are also putting severe pressure on remaining rebel redoubts. The Observatory said a heavy Syrian and Russian aerial bombardment in the last three days in the mostly rebel-held Idlib province to the southwest had killed more than 100 people. Winter is coming The rebels' loss of the eastern half of Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war, would be the biggest victory of the conflict so far for Assad, securing his grip on all Syria's main cities. It would also be a success for President Vladimir Putin who intervened to save Moscow's ally in September 2015 with air strikes, and for Shi'ite Iran, whose elite Islamic Republic Guard Corps has suffered casualties fighting for Assad. UN official Jens Laerke said: "Winter is approaching, it's already getting very, very cold so that has come up as a priority need ... Food is running out, the little food that is available is being sold at extremely inflated prices." While rebels have said they will not leave, one opposition official, who declined to be identified, conceded they may have no alternative for the sake of civilians who have been under siege for five months and faced relentless government assaults. Insurgents, meanwhile, have fought back ferociously inside Aleppo. Some of the fighting took place on Monday within a kilometre (half a mile) of the ancient citadel, a large fortress built on a mound, and around the historic Old City. With narrow alleyways, big mansions and covered markets, the ancient city of Aleppo became a UNESCO heritage site in 1986. Many historic buildings have been destroyed in the fighting. Apart from their support for rebels fighting against Assad, Western countries are also taking part in a US-led air campaign against Islamic State, the Sunni Muslim militant group which broke away from other anti-Assad groups to proclaim a caliphate in territory in Syria and neighbouring Iraq. Moscow says helping Assad is the best way to defeat Islamic State. Western countries say the group gains strength from the fury unleashed by Assad's military crackdown on his enemies. France, a staunch backer of the anti-Assad opposition, will convene foreign ministers of like-minded countries in Paris on Saturday to try to come up with some form of strategy in the wake of the Aleppo onslaught, although few diplomats expect anything concrete to be achieved. Western countries say that even if government forces take Aleppo, they will still not be able to end the conflict, as long as millions of Syrians see the government as a brutal enemy. "Aleppo falls, but the war goes on," said one US official. (Reuters)

Syria: Troops enter Aleppo's old city, poised for war's biggest victory

Syrian rebels in besieged eastern Aleppo called on Wednesday for an immediate five-day ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians and wounded, but gave no indication they were ready to withdraw as demanded by Damascus and Moscow.

The Syrian army and allied forces have made rapid gains against insurgents in the past two weeks and look closer than ever to restoring full control over Aleppo, Syria&#39;s most populous city before the war, and achieving their most important victory of the conflict now in its sixth year.

In a statement calling for the truce, the rebels made no mention of evacuating the several thousand fighters who are defending an ever shrinking area of eastern Aleppo.&nbsp;

Syria and Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have said they want rebels to leave Aleppo and will not consider a ceasefire unless that happens.

&quot;It&rsquo;s been a tragedy here for a long time, but I&rsquo;ve never seen this kind of pressure on the city - you can&rsquo;t rest for even five minutes, the bombardment is constant,&quot; a resident said.

&quot;Any movement in the streets and there is bombardment (on that area) immediately,&quot; said the east Aleppo resident contacted by Reuters, who declined to be identified.&nbsp;

Fear gripped the remaining residents as food and water supplies were cut off.

Retaking Aleppo would also be a success for President Vladimir Putin who intervened to save Moscow&#39;s ally in September 2015 with airstrikes, and for Shi&#39;ite Iran, whose elite Islamic Republic Guard Corps has suffered casualties fighting for Assad.

The Syrian government now appears closer to victory than at any point in the five years since protests against Assad evolved into an armed rebellion.&nbsp;

The war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people, made more than half of Syrians homeless and created the world&#39;s worst refugee crisis.

Outside of Aleppo, the government and its allies are also putting severe pressure on remaining rebel redoubts.&nbsp;

Army retakes old city

The Syrian army now controls all of the Old City of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site including the Umayyad Mosque, which had been held by rebels, the Observatory said.&nbsp;

Explosions and artillery fire could be heard on Syrian state television in districts around the citadel which overlooks the Old City as the army pressed its offensive. More neighbourhoods were expected to fall but rebels were fighting ferociously.

Rebels have lost control of about 75 per cent of their territory in eastern Aleppo in under 10 days, Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdulrahman, said.

The &quot;humanitarian initiative&quot; published by rebels called for the evacuation of around 500 critical medical cases. &nbsp;

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a potential US-Russia deal to allow Syrian rebels to leave Aleppo safely was still on the agenda.&nbsp;

Damascus and Moscow have been calling on rebels to withdraw from the city, disarm and accept safe passage out, a procedure that has been carried out in other areas where rebels abandoned besieged territory in recent months.&nbsp;

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will meet US secretary of state John Kerry in Hamburg on Wednesday, Russian news agencies reported. Lavrov will also meet with German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the agencies reported.

&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The Rebels have lost control of about 75 per cent of their territory in eastern Aleppo in under 10 days

Syrian rebels in besieged eastern Aleppo called on Wednesday for an immediate five-day ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians and wounded, but gave no indication they were ready to withdraw as demanded by Damascus and Moscow. The Syrian army and allied forces have made rapid gains against insurgents in the past two weeks and look closer than ever to restoring full control over Aleppo, Syria's most populous city before the war, and achieving their most important victory of the conflict now in its sixth year. In a statement calling for the truce, the rebels made no mention of evacuating the several thousand fighters who are defending an ever shrinking area of eastern Aleppo. Syria and Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have said they want rebels to leave Aleppo and will not consider a ceasefire unless that happens. "It’s been a tragedy here for a long time, but I’ve never seen this kind of pressure on the city - you can’t rest for even five minutes, the bombardment is constant," a resident said. "Any movement in the streets and there is bombardment (on that area) immediately," said the east Aleppo resident contacted by Reuters, who declined to be identified. Fear gripped the remaining residents as food and water supplies were cut off. Retaking Aleppo would also be a success for President Vladimir Putin who intervened to save Moscow's ally in September 2015 with airstrikes, and for Shi'ite Iran, whose elite Islamic Republic Guard Corps has suffered casualties fighting for Assad. The Syrian government now appears closer to victory than at any point in the five years since protests against Assad evolved into an armed rebellion. The war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people, made more than half of Syrians homeless and created the world's worst refugee crisis. Outside of Aleppo, the government and its allies are also putting severe pressure on remaining rebel redoubts. Army retakes old city The Syrian army now controls all of the Old City of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site including the Umayyad Mosque, which had been held by rebels, the Observatory said. Explosions and artillery fire could be heard on Syrian state television in districts around the citadel which overlooks the Old City as the army pressed its offensive. More neighbourhoods were expected to fall but rebels were fighting ferociously. Rebels have lost control of about 75 per cent of their territory in eastern Aleppo in under 10 days, Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdulrahman, said. The "humanitarian initiative" published by rebels called for the evacuation of around 500 critical medical cases. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a potential US-Russia deal to allow Syrian rebels to leave Aleppo safely was still on the agenda. Damascus and Moscow have been calling on rebels to withdraw from the city, disarm and accept safe passage out, a procedure that has been carried out in other areas where rebels abandoned besieged territory in recent months. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will meet US secretary of state John Kerry in Hamburg on Wednesday, Russian news agencies reported. Lavrov will also meet with German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the agencies reported. (Reuters)

Rebels seek ceasefire with Syrian army closer to retaking Aleppo

Russian and US experts will meet in the coming days to determine the routes and timing for a total rebel withdrawal from eastern Aleppo, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

&quot;During the Russian-American consultations the concrete route and timeframe for the withdrawal of all fighters from eastern Aleppo will be agreed upon,&quot; the Russian diplomat said, indicating that the talks in Geneva would likely start on Tuesday or Wednesday.

&quot;As soon as these routes and timeframes are agreed on, a ceasefire can come into effect,&quot; Lavrov said.&nbsp;

The discussions would be based on proposals made by US Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome on Friday, he said. &nbsp;

Russia&#39;s top diplomat also denounced a proposed UN resolution demanding a temporary ceasefire in Aleppo, calling it a &quot;provocative step&quot;.

The UN Security Council will on Monday vote on the resolution, drafted by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain, that calls for a truce of at least seven days.

&quot;Taking into account all aspects and the current development of the situation, the draft resolution -- coming against the backdrop of the Russian-American initiative -- is, for the most part, a provocative step that undermines Russian-American efforts,&quot; Lavrov told a press conference.

Despite concessions by those who drafted the text -- an early version demanded a 10-day truce -- it looks likely Moscow will use its veto to torpedo the measure.

The forces of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and their allies are continuing to advance on Aleppo&#39;s rebel-held districts, after taking control of some 60 percent of the city so far, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.&nbsp;

Since the start of the Syrian regime&#39;s latest offensive in eastern Aleppo on November 15, at least 311 civilians have been killed, 42 of them children, the Britain-based monitor says. At the same time, rebel fire has killed nearly 70 people in the city&#39;s government-held west.

Russia has been flying air raids in Syria since September 2015, intervening at the request of Assad, Moscow&#39;s longtime ally.

(AFP)

A ceasefire can come into effect once the outline for the total pullout is prepared by the two countries, the Russian foreign minister said

Russian and US experts will meet in the coming days to determine the routes and timing for a total rebel withdrawal from eastern Aleppo, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday. "During the Russian-American consultations the concrete route and timeframe for the withdrawal of all fighters from eastern Aleppo will be agreed upon," the Russian diplomat said, indicating that the talks in Geneva would likely start on Tuesday or Wednesday. "As soon as these routes and timeframes are agreed on, a ceasefire can come into effect," Lavrov said. The discussions would be based on proposals made by US Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome on Friday, he said. Russia's top diplomat also denounced a proposed UN resolution demanding a temporary ceasefire in Aleppo, calling it a "provocative step". The UN Security Council will on Monday vote on the resolution, drafted by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain, that calls for a truce of at least seven days. "Taking into account all aspects and the current development of the situation, the draft resolution -- coming against the backdrop of the Russian-American initiative -- is, for the most part, a provocative step that undermines Russian-American efforts," Lavrov told a press conference. Despite concessions by those who drafted the text -- an early version demanded a 10-day truce -- it looks likely Moscow will use its veto to torpedo the measure. The forces of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and their allies are continuing to advance on Aleppo's rebel-held districts, after taking control of some 60 percent of the city so far, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. Since the start of the Syrian regime's latest offensive in eastern Aleppo on November 15, at least 311 civilians have been killed, 42 of them children, the Britain-based monitor says. At the same time, rebel fire has killed nearly 70 people in the city's government-held west. Russia has been flying air raids in Syria since September 2015, intervening at the request of Assad, Moscow's longtime ally. (AFP)

Russia, US to prepare timescale for rebel withdrawal from Aleppo

Syrian forces have recaptured half the former IS stronghold of east Aleppo, a monitor said on Friday.&nbsp;

President Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s forces have made quick gains since their offensive against Aleppo began on November 15.

Rebels put up fierce resistance in the southeastern outskirts of the war-battered city, but government forces closed in on opposition territory from the east.

Meanwhile, around 2,000 people, including rebel families, evacuated the suburb of Tal near Damascus, as part of a deal between the Syrian government and the armed rebels, local media reports said.

Tens of thousands of civilians have also streamed out of Aleppo&rsquo;s east, and Russia has renewed its calls for humanitarian corridors to allow aid to enter and desperate residents to leave.

&quot;We have informed the UN in New York and Geneva that there is no longer a problem with the delivery of humanitarian cargo to eastern Aleppo,&quot; Russia&rsquo;s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Moscow has announced several humanitarian pauses in Aleppo to allow civilians to flee, but until the recent escalation, only a handful did so.

Regime forces on Friday &quot;consolidated their control&quot; over two eastern districts and were pushing further to squeeze the shrinking rebel enclave, said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman, AFP reported.

&quot;After the recent advances, the regime is comfortably in control of half of former rebel territory in the city&#39;s east,&quot; he said.

The loss of east Aleppo, which has been a rebel stronghold since 2012, would be the biggest-ever blow to Syria&rsquo;s opposition.

Earlier on Friday, anti-government fighters had been successful in rolling back regime gains in Sheikh Saeed on Aleppo&rsquo;s southeastern outskirts.

Sheikh Saeed borders the last remaining parts of Aleppo still in rebel hands.

Hundreds of fighters from Syria&rsquo;s elite Republican Guard and Fourth Division arrived in Aleppo on Friday in&nbsp;preparation for street-by-street fighting in these districts, the Observatory said.

It added that four civilians were killed in rebel rocket fire on government-held areas, bringing to 59 the civilian toll in the city&#39;s west.

More 300 civilians have been killed in east Aleppo since the offensive began, according to the Observatory.

Clashes rocked residential buildings in Aleppo&rsquo;s eastern fringes on Friday, as regime forces sought to secure the road towards the airport.

AFP reported ferocious clashes in the Tariq al-Bab district, where regime forces advanced Thursday.

US secretary of state John Kerry late on Friday said he had spoken to Lavrov about the situation in Aleppo.

&quot;We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian disaster that continues to unfold in Aleppo,&quot; he said.

&quot;It is absolutely vital that the killings be replaced by immediate moves of humanitarian goods.&quot;

Dozens of families trickled out on Friday, adding to the more than 50,000 people who have poured from east Aleppo into territory controlled by government forces or local Kurdish authorities, the Observatory said, AFP reported.

Among those fleeing are nearly 20,000 children, according to estimates by the UN&rsquo;s children&rsquo;s agency.

&quot;What is critical now is that we provide the immediate and sustained assistance that these children and their families desperately need,&quot; UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac told AFP.

&quot;It&rsquo;s a race against time, as winter is here and conditions are basic.&quot;

The conflict started in March 2011 with protests calling for Assad&rsquo;s ouster, and has since evolved into a highly globalised war that has killed more than 300,000 people.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The loss of east Aleppo, which has been a rebel stronghold since 2012, would be the biggest-ever blow to Syria?s opposition

Syrian forces have recaptured half the former IS stronghold of east Aleppo, a monitor said on Friday. President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have made quick gains since their offensive against Aleppo began on November 15. Rebels put up fierce resistance in the southeastern outskirts of the war-battered city, but government forces closed in on opposition territory from the east. Meanwhile, around 2,000 people, including rebel families, evacuated the suburb of Tal near Damascus, as part of a deal between the Syrian government and the armed rebels, local media reports said. Tens of thousands of civilians have also streamed out of Aleppo’s east, and Russia has renewed its calls for humanitarian corridors to allow aid to enter and desperate residents to leave. "We have informed the UN in New York and Geneva that there is no longer a problem with the delivery of humanitarian cargo to eastern Aleppo," Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said, AFP reported. Moscow has announced several humanitarian pauses in Aleppo to allow civilians to flee, but until the recent escalation, only a handful did so. Regime forces on Friday "consolidated their control" over two eastern districts and were pushing further to squeeze the shrinking rebel enclave, said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights head Rami Abdel Rahman, AFP reported. "After the recent advances, the regime is comfortably in control of half of former rebel territory in the city's east," he said. The loss of east Aleppo, which has been a rebel stronghold since 2012, would be the biggest-ever blow to Syria’s opposition. Earlier on Friday, anti-government fighters had been successful in rolling back regime gains in Sheikh Saeed on Aleppo’s southeastern outskirts. Sheikh Saeed borders the last remaining parts of Aleppo still in rebel hands. Hundreds of fighters from Syria’s elite Republican Guard and Fourth Division arrived in Aleppo on Friday in preparation for street-by-street fighting in these districts, the Observatory said. It added that four civilians were killed in rebel rocket fire on government-held areas, bringing to 59 the civilian toll in the city's west. More 300 civilians have been killed in east Aleppo since the offensive began, according to the Observatory. Clashes rocked residential buildings in Aleppo’s eastern fringes on Friday, as regime forces sought to secure the road towards the airport. AFP reported ferocious clashes in the Tariq al-Bab district, where regime forces advanced Thursday. US secretary of state John Kerry late on Friday said he had spoken to Lavrov about the situation in Aleppo. "We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian disaster that continues to unfold in Aleppo," he said. "It is absolutely vital that the killings be replaced by immediate moves of humanitarian goods." Dozens of families trickled out on Friday, adding to the more than 50,000 people who have poured from east Aleppo into territory controlled by government forces or local Kurdish authorities, the Observatory said, AFP reported. Among those fleeing are nearly 20,000 children, according to estimates by the UN’s children’s agency. "What is critical now is that we provide the immediate and sustained assistance that these children and their families desperately need," UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac told AFP. "It’s a race against time, as winter is here and conditions are basic." The conflict started in March 2011 with protests calling for Assad’s ouster, and has since evolved into a highly globalised war that has killed more than 300,000 people. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Half of rebel-held Aleppo falls to Syrian forces

&quot;Russia has nothing to do with this. Neither does the Syrian Arab Republic or its airforce,&quot; Lavrov told reporters at a joint news conference after meeting his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in the Mediterranean resort town of Alanya.

Four Turkish soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in an air strike on November 24 during a Turkish-backed rebel operation in northern Syria.

Lavrov also said that Russia was ready to speak with all parties in the Syrian conflict.

&quot;Never have we refused contacts with any of the opposition groups. Indeed, it was on our insistance that the clause about the necessity to hold dialogue with all key, political opposition groups was included in the resolution 2254 proposed by the international Syria Support Group,&quot; Lavrov said.

Both Turkey and Russia, two of the main backers of opposing sides in Syria&#39;s civil war, said they agreed on the need for a halt to fighting and the provision of aid in Aleppo but deep divisions remain between the two countries over the conflict.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey&#39;s stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was unchanged.

&quot;Our President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s) position on (Syrian President Bashar) Assad is clear. We know that Assad is responsible of killing 600,000 people. Sometimes we might have different opinions. This is natural but we agree with Russia on need for ceasefire, humanitarian and political transition,&quot; Cavusoglu said.

Russia is the main backer of Assad, while Turkey supports the rebels fighting to oust him. The rebels have come under siege in eastern Aleppo after rapid advances by Syrian government forces in recent days, bringing them to the brink of a major defeat.

&quot;A ceasefire must be achieved in all of Syria, notably in Aleppo,&quot; Cavusoglu said adding Turkey was in agreement with Russia in broad terms on the need for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid and political transition.

Syrian rebels on Wednesday (November 30) vowed to fight on in east Aleppo in the face of sudden government advances that have cut the city&#39;s opposition sector by a third.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation in Aleppo with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone for the third time in a week on Wednesday and agreed on the need for a ceasefire, sources in Erdogan&#39;s office said.

While remaining divided on Assad&#39;s future, Ankara and Moscow have been trying to find common ground on Syria since a rapprochement in August.

(Reuters)

Four Turkish soldiers were killed and nine wounded in an air strike on November 24 during a Turkish-backed rebel operation in northern Syria

"Russia has nothing to do with this. Neither does the Syrian Arab Republic or its airforce," Lavrov told reporters at a joint news conference after meeting his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in the Mediterranean resort town of Alanya. Four Turkish soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in an air strike on November 24 during a Turkish-backed rebel operation in northern Syria. Lavrov also said that Russia was ready to speak with all parties in the Syrian conflict. "Never have we refused contacts with any of the opposition groups. Indeed, it was on our insistance that the clause about the necessity to hold dialogue with all key, political opposition groups was included in the resolution 2254 proposed by the international Syria Support Group," Lavrov said. Both Turkey and Russia, two of the main backers of opposing sides in Syria's civil war, said they agreed on the need for a halt to fighting and the provision of aid in Aleppo but deep divisions remain between the two countries over the conflict. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey's stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was unchanged. "Our President (Recep Tayyip Erdogan's) position on (Syrian President Bashar) Assad is clear. We know that Assad is responsible of killing 600,000 people. Sometimes we might have different opinions. This is natural but we agree with Russia on need for ceasefire, humanitarian and political transition," Cavusoglu said. Russia is the main backer of Assad, while Turkey supports the rebels fighting to oust him. The rebels have come under siege in eastern Aleppo after rapid advances by Syrian government forces in recent days, bringing them to the brink of a major defeat. "A ceasefire must be achieved in all of Syria, notably in Aleppo," Cavusoglu said adding Turkey was in agreement with Russia in broad terms on the need for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid and political transition. Syrian rebels on Wednesday (November 30) vowed to fight on in east Aleppo in the face of sudden government advances that have cut the city's opposition sector by a third. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation in Aleppo with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone for the third time in a week on Wednesday and agreed on the need for a ceasefire, sources in Erdogan's office said. While remaining divided on Assad's future, Ankara and Moscow have been trying to find common ground on Syria since a rapprochement in August. (Reuters)

Attack on Turkish soldiers not carried out by Russia or Syria, Lavrov says

The US department of Defence on Tuesday accepted that intelligence errors led to the US-led coalition air strike in Syria that killed Syrian regime troops in September.

There were &quot;errors in the development of intelligence, as well as missed opportunities for coalition members on duty to recognize and voice contrary evidence to decision makers,&quot; the US military&#39;s Central Command said in a statement following a six-week probe into the September 17 attack near Deir Ezzor, news agency AFP reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had reported the death of at least 90 government soldiers.

The Pentagon said it had only been able to conclusively count 15 deaths, but acknowledged the toll was possibly much higher.

Australian, Danish, British and American planes all took part in the air strike.&nbsp;

The inestogator of the case, Brigadier General Richard Coe, told reporters that weapons were employed by each of the four countries, dropping a total of 34 guided bombs and firing 380 rounds of 30-mm ammunition, reported AFP.

&quot;In this incident, we made an unintentional, regrettable error primarily based on human factors in several areas in the targeting process,&quot; Coe said.

The targets struck included &quot;defensive fighting positions,&quot; vehicles, tents, tunnels and people -- all of which were thought to be legitimate IS targets, he added.

The US-led coalition is focused on attacking the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq and does not want to get involved in Syria&#39;s brutal civil war.

A key mistake was the identification of a Syrian vehicle thought to belong to IS jihadists which influenced further intel assessments.

The troops were not wearing recognizable military uniforms or carrying identifying flags, the Pentagon said.

The most important miscommunication happened when a phone call by the Russian forces to warn US was delayed by 27 minutes. A call from the Russian forces came in on a special hotline to tell the coalition that the strike was hitting Syrian governmeent forces.

The delay occured becuase the officer with whom the Russians normally spoke was not immediately available.

Almost half of the strikes had occurred during the delay. The strike was called off as soon as there was communication with the point of contact.

Additionally, the investigation found that an early assessment from an intelligence analyst that the target &quot;couldn&#39;t possibly&quot; be IS was overlooked, AFP said.

&quot;In my opinion, these were a number of people all doing their best to do a good job,&quot; Coe said. &quot;The decision to strike these targets was made in accordance with the law of armed conflict and the applicable rules of engagement.&quot;

The strike was conducted by F-16 and FA-18 fighters, A-10 ground-attack craft and drones, AFP said.

The IS group has since January 2015 besieged the eastern city of Deir Ezzor where more than 200,000 people live. It controls more than 60 percent of the city, the capital of the province of the same name.

(With inputs from AFP)

Australian, Danish, British and American planes all took part in the air strike, which a monitoring group said killed at least 90 troops

The US department of Defence on Tuesday accepted that intelligence errors led to the US-led coalition air strike in Syria that killed Syrian regime troops in September. There were "errors in the development of intelligence, as well as missed opportunities for coalition members on duty to recognize and voice contrary evidence to decision makers," the US military's Central Command said in a statement following a six-week probe into the September 17 attack near Deir Ezzor, news agency AFP reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had reported the death of at least 90 government soldiers. The Pentagon said it had only been able to conclusively count 15 deaths, but acknowledged the toll was possibly much higher. Australian, Danish, British and American planes all took part in the air strike. The inestogator of the case, Brigadier General Richard Coe, told reporters that weapons were employed by each of the four countries, dropping a total of 34 guided bombs and firing 380 rounds of 30-mm ammunition, reported AFP. "In this incident, we made an unintentional, regrettable error primarily based on human factors in several areas in the targeting process," Coe said. The targets struck included "defensive fighting positions," vehicles, tents, tunnels and people -- all of which were thought to be legitimate IS targets, he added. The US-led coalition is focused on attacking the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq and does not want to get involved in Syria's brutal civil war. A key mistake was the identification of a Syrian vehicle thought to belong to IS jihadists which influenced further intel assessments. The troops were not wearing recognizable military uniforms or carrying identifying flags, the Pentagon said. The most important miscommunication happened when a phone call by the Russian forces to warn US was delayed by 27 minutes. A call from the Russian forces came in on a special hotline to tell the coalition that the strike was hitting Syrian governmeent forces. The delay occured becuase the officer with whom the Russians normally spoke was not immediately available. Almost half of the strikes had occurred during the delay. The strike was called off as soon as there was communication with the point of contact. Additionally, the investigation found that an early assessment from an intelligence analyst that the target "couldn't possibly" be IS was overlooked, AFP said. "In my opinion, these were a number of people all doing their best to do a good job," Coe said. "The decision to strike these targets was made in accordance with the law of armed conflict and the applicable rules of engagement." The strike was conducted by F-16 and FA-18 fighters, A-10 ground-attack craft and drones, AFP said. The IS group has since January 2015 besieged the eastern city of Deir Ezzor where more than 200,000 people live. It controls more than 60 percent of the city, the capital of the province of the same name. (With inputs from AFP)

US: Intelligence errors led to coalition strike on Syria forces

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Aleppo, diplomats said.

The meeting will begin immediately following a Security Council session on the adoption of a resolution reinforcing sanctions against North Korea, which is scheduled to begin at 1400 GMT.

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The 15 ambassadors of the Security Council will get a videoconference briefing on the situation in Aleppo by a UN official in charge of humanitarian operations and the UN mediator in Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

In east Aleppo, thousands of civilians have fled the fighting and bombings as the Syrian government forces advanced against parts of the rebel-held areas.

The UN condemned on Tuesday the &quot;descent into hell&quot; being endured by civilians.

Up to 20,000 people have fled the regime offensive in the past 72 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

&quot;France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II,&quot; said France&#39;s UN ambassador Francois Delattre on Tuesday.

He and his British counterpart Matthew Rycroft earlier in the day were pushing for the emergency council meeting on providing humanitarian relief to the besieged Syrian city.

East Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months, with international aid stocks exhausted and food supplies running low.

Rycroft said the council would discuss plans for the UN to deliver much-needed food and medicine into Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded.

&quot;Russia complained that the opposition had not agreed to this plan. Now they have, so I call on Russia to make sure the Syrian regime agrees,&quot; Rycroft said.

&quot;The future of Aleppo is in the hands of the regime and Russia, and we urge the regime and Russia to stop the bombing and let the aid go through.&quot;

(AFP)

The 15 ambassadors of the council will get a video briefing on the crisis in the beleaguered Syrian city

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday on the dire humanitarian crisis unfolding in Aleppo, diplomats said. The meeting will begin immediately following a Security Council session on the adoption of a resolution reinforcing sanctions against North Korea, which is scheduled to begin at 1400 GMT. The UN condemned on Tuesday the 'descent into hell' Aleppo's citizens are being made to live through × The 15 ambassadors of the Security Council will get a videoconference briefing on the situation in Aleppo by a UN official in charge of humanitarian operations and the UN mediator in Syria, Staffan de Mistura. In east Aleppo, thousands of civilians have fled the fighting and bombings as the Syrian government forces advanced against parts of the rebel-held areas. The UN condemned on Tuesday the "descent into hell" being endured by civilians. Up to 20,000 people have fled the regime offensive in the past 72 hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. "France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II," said France's UN ambassador Francois Delattre on Tuesday. He and his British counterpart Matthew Rycroft earlier in the day were pushing for the emergency council meeting on providing humanitarian relief to the besieged Syrian city. East Aleppo has been under government siege for more than four months, with international aid stocks exhausted and food supplies running low. Rycroft said the council would discuss plans for the UN to deliver much-needed food and medicine into Aleppo and evacuate the sick and wounded. "Russia complained that the opposition had not agreed to this plan. Now they have, so I call on Russia to make sure the Syrian regime agrees," Rycroft said. "The future of Aleppo is in the hands of the regime and Russia, and we urge the regime and Russia to stop the bombing and let the aid go through." (AFP)

UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Aleppo

Nearly 10,000 civilians have fled battered eastern Aleppo towards government-held districts and the Kurdish-controlled neighbourhood of Sheikh Maksoud, a monitoring group said Sunday.

&quot;Nearly 10,000 civilians have fled east Aleppo since the night of Saturday to Sunday,&quot; the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. &quot;At least 6,000 of them went to the neighbourhood of Sheikh Maksoud, the rest went to government zones of Aleppo.&quot;

Government forces retook six rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo over the weekend, forcing huge numbers of civilians to flee as they pressed their offensive Sunday to retake Syria&#39;s second city.

On Sunday, the 13th day of the operation, they took control of the adjacent neighbourhoods of Jabal Badra, Baadeeen Inzarat, Al-Sakan, al-Shaabi and Ain al-Tall, according to the Observatory.

Government forces are now &quot;in control of most of the northern part&quot; of Aleppo, according to the monitoring group.

Around 250,000 civilians besieged for months in the east have faced serious food and fuel shortages. Once a commercial and industrial hub, Aleppo has seen some of the worst fighting in Syria&#39;s nearly six-year war.

(AFP)

This mass exodus is just since this past Saturday night, as

Nearly 10,000 civilians have fled battered eastern Aleppo towards government-held districts and the Kurdish-controlled neighbourhood of Sheikh Maksoud, a monitoring group said Sunday. "Nearly 10,000 civilians have fled east Aleppo since the night of Saturday to Sunday," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "At least 6,000 of them went to the neighbourhood of Sheikh Maksoud, the rest went to government zones of Aleppo." Government forces retook six rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo over the weekend, forcing huge numbers of civilians to flee as they pressed their offensive Sunday to retake Syria's second city. On Sunday, the 13th day of the operation, they took control of the adjacent neighbourhoods of Jabal Badra, Baadeeen Inzarat, Al-Sakan, al-Shaabi and Ain al-Tall, according to the Observatory. Government forces are now "in control of most of the northern part" of Aleppo, according to the monitoring group. Around 250,000 civilians besieged for months in the east have faced serious food and fuel shortages. Once a commercial and industrial hub, Aleppo has seen some of the worst fighting in Syria's nearly six-year war. (AFP)

Nearly 10,000 civilians flee east Aleppo: Monitor

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