Aleppo Ceasefire Breaks Down, Halting Evacuation Of 50,000 Civilians

The evacuation of civilians and safe passage of rebel fighters from the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo has been halted, after Bashar al-Assad’s government forces claimed rebels violated conditions of the ceasefire.

Several unconfirmed reports claim shelling has resumed, and that explosions have been heard in the vicinity of Red Crescent buses transporting civilians out of the city’s eastern region.
BBC also reports buses leaving the city have been hit with gunfire.

It’s thought that around 6,000 civilians were granted safe passage out of the city’s final rebel-held areas before the ceasefire broke down, but as many as 50,000 remain.
Aleppo was the last major rebel stronghold remaining in Syria’s brutal civil war, which has claimed over 300,000 lives.
Earlier, residents trapped in the cross-fire and fearful of attacks from government forces issued ‘final’ statements via social media. 

We’ll update this story as it develops.

 

Source: BBC / Reuters.
Photo: Anadolu Agency / Getty.

More Stuff From PEDESTRIAN.TV