ALEPPO, Syria, Dec. 18 (UPI) — The evacuation of thousands of civilians and fighters stranded in eastern Aleppo were set to resume after a new deal between the rebels and Syrian government was made.
But six buses en route to Foah and Kefraya in Idlib province were burned by rebels, the United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Syrian state media said “armed terrorists” attacked five buses, burned and destroyed them, according to a BBC report.
Buses began entering several neighborhoods Sunday under the supervision of the Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Syrian state media, SANA, said.
After two days of negotiations, a new deal was reached Saturday for safe passage, according to a statement by Osama Abazid of the the Free Syrian Army rebel alliance.
In exchange, those loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad‘s regime will be evacuated from four cities held or besieged by rebels.
Syrian state media reported only civilians and fighters will be allowed to leave eastern Aleppo once families in Fua and Kefraya are evacuated.
A source in Aleppo told Al Jazeera 4,000 people will evacuate the Shia-majority towns of Fua and Kefraya, and 1,500 people in the government-besieged Madaya and Zabadani and everyone in eastern Aleppo will also be allowed to evacuate as part of this deal.
As many as 9,000 people were evacuated from east Aleppo in nine convoys Thursday and Friday. But the process was suspended Friday when the two sides accused each other of violating an earlier agreement.
SANA has said some evacuees were found to be transporting weapons and advanced communication devices.
The International Committee of the Red Cross reported Sunday “thousands of people — including women, children, the sick and injured — remain trapped in eastern Aleppo city waiting for the evacuation operation to continue. They waited throughout the night in freezing temperatures, close to the front line and in constant fear and anxiety.”
Last week, the Syrian government claimed victory in Aleppo, which had been partly under rebel control since 2012.
Reports differ on how many people remain in eastern Aleppo, with numbers ranging from 15,000 to 40,000 civilians, along with an estimated 6,000 fighters.
