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| Aleppo battle: Hopes rise for evacuation of rebel-held areas | Aleppo battle: Hopes rise for evacuation of rebel-held areas |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hopes have risen that a planned evacuation of rebel-held parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo will now begin soon, after an earlier deal collapsed. | Hopes have risen that a planned evacuation of rebel-held parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo will now begin soon, after an earlier deal collapsed. |
| Rebel sources said a new truce had been in effect from 03:00GMT and evacuations would take place early on Thursday. | Rebel sources said a new truce had been in effect from 03:00GMT and evacuations would take place early on Thursday. |
| Sources from the Syrian military, the pro-government Hezbollah and Russian media said preparations were under way. | Sources from the Syrian military, the pro-government Hezbollah and Russian media said preparations were under way. |
| Rebel fighters and civilians had been due to leave early on Wednesday, but a ceasefire collapsed. | Rebel fighters and civilians had been due to leave early on Wednesday, but a ceasefire collapsed. |
| Latest updates from Aleppo | Latest updates from Aleppo |
| Reuters news agency quoted one Syrian official source on Thursday morning as saying that the "operation to organise the departure of gunmen from eastern Aleppo has now started". | Reuters news agency quoted one Syrian official source on Thursday morning as saying that the "operation to organise the departure of gunmen from eastern Aleppo has now started". |
| A media unit run by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Muslim movement backing the Syrian government, said there had been "big complications" but that "intensive contacts between the responsible parties... led to re-consolidating a ceasefire to exit armed fighters from eastern districts in the next few hours". | A media unit run by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia Muslim movement backing the Syrian government, said there had been "big complications" but that "intensive contacts between the responsible parties... led to re-consolidating a ceasefire to exit armed fighters from eastern districts in the next few hours". |
| Soldiers from Russia - Syria's ally - would lead the rebels out, escorting them on a corridor towards Idlib city on buses and ambulances, with surveillance drones monitoring the situation, Russian media said. | Soldiers from Russia - Syria's ally - would lead the rebels out, escorting them on a corridor towards Idlib city on buses and ambulances, with surveillance drones monitoring the situation, Russian media said. |
| A statement from the Russian Centre for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, part of Russia's ministry of defence, said Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of all members of the armed groups who decided to leave Aleppo. | A statement from the Russian Centre for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, part of Russia's ministry of defence, said Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of all members of the armed groups who decided to leave Aleppo. |
| The Red Cross and Syrian Arab Red Crescent confirmed they would be involved in the operation to evacuate wounded but that it had not yet started. | The Red Cross and Syrian Arab Red Crescent confirmed they would be involved in the operation to evacuate wounded but that it had not yet started. |
| Ismail Al Abdullah, a volunteer for the White Helmets civil defence group, told the BBC that buses had now entered the area in which he was working and that he hoped the evacuation would now take place. | |
| But the White Helmets tweeted that one senior volunteer had been shot and injured by a sniper while clearing an evacuation route for ambulances. | |
| An ambulance service official in eastern Aleppo said a departing convoy of ambulances had been shot at, with three people injured. An opposition source told the BBC the convoy had headed back to eastern Aleppo. | |
| BBC Arabic's Asaf Aboud, in Aleppo, says there was some shelling by rebels and air strikes by government forces overnight. | BBC Arabic's Asaf Aboud, in Aleppo, says there was some shelling by rebels and air strikes by government forces overnight. |
| The new deal should allow the simultaneous evacuation of two villages - Foah and Kefraya - being besieged by rebels in north-western Syria. | The new deal should allow the simultaneous evacuation of two villages - Foah and Kefraya - being besieged by rebels in north-western Syria. |
| Syria's government and its ally Iran had insisted the evacuation from eastern Aleppo could happen only when those villages were evacuated. | Syria's government and its ally Iran had insisted the evacuation from eastern Aleppo could happen only when those villages were evacuated. |
| On Wednesday morning, buses and ambulances had been brought to evacuate rebel fighters and their families - only to be turned away shortly afterwards. | On Wednesday morning, buses and ambulances had been brought to evacuate rebel fighters and their families - only to be turned away shortly afterwards. |
| Hours after the first agreement - brokered mainly by Russia and Turkey - collapsed, air strikes resumed over rebel-held territory, where up to 50,000 civilians remain. | |
| The UN said raids by the Syrian government and its allies on an area "packed with civilians" most probably violated international law. | The UN said raids by the Syrian government and its allies on an area "packed with civilians" most probably violated international law. |
| Most politically sensitive deal - BBC's Lyse Doucet in Beirut | Most politically sensitive deal - BBC's Lyse Doucet in Beirut |
| Many of Syria's prolonged battles and punishing sieges have ended with a negotiated pullout of rebel fighters. | Many of Syria's prolonged battles and punishing sieges have ended with a negotiated pullout of rebel fighters. |
| The day of departure is often marked by delays and new demands. Aleppo is no different. But this is the most politically sensitive deal of all. | The day of departure is often marked by delays and new demands. Aleppo is no different. But this is the most politically sensitive deal of all. |
| The first deal appeared to upset Iran as well as the Syrian government - they felt they did not have enough of a say. | The first deal appeared to upset Iran as well as the Syrian government - they felt they did not have enough of a say. |
| Both insisted, as they have done for aid convoys and evacuations elsewhere, that there must be a simultaneous mission for injured fighters and civilians in the Shia villages of Foah and Kefraya. There have been arguments over other details, too. | Both insisted, as they have done for aid convoys and evacuations elsewhere, that there must be a simultaneous mission for injured fighters and civilians in the Shia villages of Foah and Kefraya. There have been arguments over other details, too. |
| Only when buses are boarded, and ambulances pull away, can it be said with any certainty that this battle is drawing to a close. | Only when buses are boarded, and ambulances pull away, can it be said with any certainty that this battle is drawing to a close. |
| Meanwhile, the BBC has learned that Western forces are using satellites and unmanned aircraft to gather evidence of possible war crimes in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria. | Meanwhile, the BBC has learned that Western forces are using satellites and unmanned aircraft to gather evidence of possible war crimes in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria. |
| Besieged residents have faced weeks of bombardment and chronic food and fuel shortages. | Besieged residents have faced weeks of bombardment and chronic food and fuel shortages. |
| Medical facilities in the city have largely been reduced to rubble, as rebels have been squeezed into ever-smaller areas by a major government offensive, backed by Russian air power. | Medical facilities in the city have largely been reduced to rubble, as rebels have been squeezed into ever-smaller areas by a major government offensive, backed by Russian air power. |
| It is not clear how many rebel fighters remain in the besieged areas. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said there were approximately 1,500, about 30% of whom were from the jihadist group formerly known as the al-Nusra Front. | It is not clear how many rebel fighters remain in the besieged areas. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said there were approximately 1,500, about 30% of whom were from the jihadist group formerly known as the al-Nusra Front. |
| Meanwhile, demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Aleppo have taken place in cities across the world, including Hamburg in Germany, Sarajevo in Bosnia and Rabat in Morocco. | Meanwhile, demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Aleppo have taken place in cities across the world, including Hamburg in Germany, Sarajevo in Bosnia and Rabat in Morocco. |
| The lights of the Eiffel Tower were also dimmed. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said she hoped the gesture would highlight the need for "urgent action" to help the people of Aleppo. | The lights of the Eiffel Tower were also dimmed. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said she hoped the gesture would highlight the need for "urgent action" to help the people of Aleppo. |