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| Aleppo evacuations: wounded loaded onto ambulances in city's east – live | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.01pm GMT | |
| 12:01 | |
| Here’s a summary of what’s happened so far: | |
| 11.42am GMT | |
| 11:42 | |
| Kareem Shaheen | |
| Rebels have scrawled graffiti messages to pro-Assad forces before fleeing eastern Aleppo. | |
| One said: “Under every destroyed building are families buried with their dreams by Assad and his allies.” | |
| Another says: “We will return, Aleppo. Our destroyed buildings are a witness of our resistance and your criminality” | |
| Updated | |
| at 11.54am GMT | |
| 11.37am GMT | |
| 11:37 | |
| Saeed Kamali Dehghan | |
| Iran has denied reports that it blocked a ceasefire plan in Aleppo earlier this week, suggesting that Turkey was spreading fake news, writes Saeed Kamali Dehghan. | |
| “This is not true and is seen here as a media propaganda against Iran,” said Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Bahman Qasemi, according to the Fars news agency. | |
| “Iran wants all countries involved in Syria to observe a ceasefire and prevent terrorists from re-arming. We have always been pursuing peace, stability and cleansing the country of terrorists in Syria.” | |
| Qasemi said Tehran was in touch with the government of Syria to establish a ceasefire and facilitate medical aid. “In a situation where Aleppo is close to be be fully liberated, how could Iran create problems and prevent this?” he asked. | |
| “Some countries in the region,” the spokesman said referring to Turkey without naming it, “are so infuriated that they have resorted to spread fake news about Iran [and its role in Syria].” | |
| 11.31am GMT | |
| 11:31 | |
| First wave of wounded reach countryside, say rebels | |
| Rebels in eastern Aleppo have told Kareen Shaheen that the first wave of wounded evacuees have made it to the opposition-controlled countryside west of Aleppo. | |
| Rebels in east Aleppo say first wave of wounded evacuees have made it to the western aleppo countryside that is under opposition control | |
| The first group of civilians had been passed safely from eastern Aleppo to western countryside of #Aleppo | |
| Updated | |
| at 11.37am GMT | |
| 11.26am GMT | 11.26am GMT |
| 11:26 | 11:26 |
| Here’s Syrian state media footage showing ambulances moving into rebel held eastern Aleppo. | Here’s Syrian state media footage showing ambulances moving into rebel held eastern Aleppo. |
| 11.24am GMT | 11.24am GMT |
| 11:24 | 11:24 |
| Some 29 trucks and ambulances are heading to the besieged Shia villages of Fua and Kefraya as part of the ceasefire deal, Reuters reports. | Some 29 trucks and ambulances are heading to the besieged Shia villages of Fua and Kefraya as part of the ceasefire deal, Reuters reports. |
| A spokesperson for Noureddine al-Zinki, one of the armed opposition groups in Aleppo, said the deal would allow the evacuation of wounded people in Fua and Kefraya, two Shia villages in Idlib province that are besieged by rebels. | A spokesperson for Noureddine al-Zinki, one of the armed opposition groups in Aleppo, said the deal would allow the evacuation of wounded people in Fua and Kefraya, two Shia villages in Idlib province that are besieged by rebels. |
| The inclusion of Fua and Kefraya was a concession to Iran, which had opposed the previous ceasefire deal negotiated by Turkish intelligence and the Russian military. | The inclusion of Fua and Kefraya was a concession to Iran, which had opposed the previous ceasefire deal negotiated by Turkish intelligence and the Russian military. |
| 11.18am GMT | 11.18am GMT |
| 11:18 | 11:18 |
| ICRC says its teams are safe | ICRC says its teams are safe |
| The ICRC’s Middle East director, Robert Mardini, says the evacuation is “well underway” and that Red Cross teams are “safe and doing all they can”. | The ICRC’s Middle East director, Robert Mardini, says the evacuation is “well underway” and that Red Cross teams are “safe and doing all they can”. |
| Operation to evacuate wounded well underway in east #Aleppo. Our teams are safe and doing all they can on the ground. More updates to come. | Operation to evacuate wounded well underway in east #Aleppo. Our teams are safe and doing all they can on the ground. More updates to come. |
| 11.01am GMT | 11.01am GMT |
| 11:01 | 11:01 |
| There are unconfirmed reports that the first injured people have been driven out of eastern Aleppo. | There are unconfirmed reports that the first injured people have been driven out of eastern Aleppo. |
| Activist: more than one vehicle carrying 50 injured people with their families have left opp-controlled #Aleppo | Activist: more than one vehicle carrying 50 injured people with their families have left opp-controlled #Aleppo |
| First convoy of wounded evacuees just left Ramouseh junction in #Aleppo looks like #Assad & #Iran militias reined in at least for now #Syria | First convoy of wounded evacuees just left Ramouseh junction in #Aleppo looks like #Assad & #Iran militias reined in at least for now #Syria |
| The Syrian Red Crescent confirms that the evacuation is underway. | The Syrian Red Crescent confirms that the evacuation is underway. |
| #Breaking: @SYRedCrescent in cooperation with @ICRC started the #evacuation operation in East #Aleppo | #Breaking: @SYRedCrescent in cooperation with @ICRC started the #evacuation operation in East #Aleppo |
| 10.46am GMT | 10.46am GMT |
| 10:46 | 10:46 |
| Brita Hagi Hasan, mayor of eastern Aleppo, is to brief the European Council on the crisis in Aleppo, at a summit in Brussels today. | Brita Hagi Hasan, mayor of eastern Aleppo, is to brief the European Council on the crisis in Aleppo, at a summit in Brussels today. |
| EU leaders are set to stop short of threatening any new sanctions against Russia over the violence in Aleppo, according to AFP. | EU leaders are set to stop short of threatening any new sanctions against Russia over the violence in Aleppo, according to AFP. |
| Instead they have issued a draft statement which “strongly condemns” the assault by the “Syrian regime and its allies, notably Russia” and calls on them to allow aid in to Aleppo. | Instead they have issued a draft statement which “strongly condemns” the assault by the “Syrian regime and its allies, notably Russia” and calls on them to allow aid in to Aleppo. |
| The statement obtained by AFP says “the EU is considering all available options.” | The statement obtained by AFP says “the EU is considering all available options.” |
| Hasan wants the EU to go much further. Buzz Feed’s Alberto Nardelli quotes him urging the EU to “breathe some life back into international law”. | Hasan wants the EU to go much further. Buzz Feed’s Alberto Nardelli quotes him urging the EU to “breathe some life back into international law”. |
| 'European Council has a choice today: breathe some life back into international law, or kill it definitively' - mayor of east Aleppo. #EUCO | 'European Council has a choice today: breathe some life back into international law, or kill it definitively' - mayor of east Aleppo. #EUCO |
| President Tusk to meet #Aleppo @BritaHagihasan today at noon. https://t.co/qSyTSb06hR | President Tusk to meet #Aleppo @BritaHagihasan today at noon. https://t.co/qSyTSb06hR |
| 10.27am GMT | 10.27am GMT |
| 10:27 | 10:27 |
| The evacuation of 5,000 Syrian rebels and their family members from eastern Aleppo has begun, according to Russia’s TASS news agency citing the Russian defence ministry. | The evacuation of 5,000 Syrian rebels and their family members from eastern Aleppo has begun, according to Russia’s TASS news agency citing the Russian defence ministry. |
| A Russian military official was quoted as saying the rebels and their families would be evacuated via a humanitarian corridor that was 21 kilometres (13.05 miles) in length. | A Russian military official was quoted as saying the rebels and their families would be evacuated via a humanitarian corridor that was 21 kilometres (13.05 miles) in length. |
| The Red Cross confirms the start of a more modest operation to evacuate up to 250 wounded civilians. | The Red Cross confirms the start of a more modest operation to evacuate up to 250 wounded civilians. |
| First Aleppo convoy includes 10 ambulances to transport 200-250 wounded. Multiple rotations today. ICRC and Sarc will oversee entire op | First Aleppo convoy includes 10 ambulances to transport 200-250 wounded. Multiple rotations today. ICRC and Sarc will oversee entire op |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 10.29am GMT | at 10.29am GMT |
| 10.22am GMT | 10.22am GMT |
| 10:22 | 10:22 |
| ICRC confirms start of evacuation of 200 wounded civilians | ICRC confirms start of evacuation of 200 wounded civilians |
| The International Committee of the Red Cross confirms that an operation to evacuate 200 wounded civilians is underway. | The International Committee of the Red Cross confirms that an operation to evacuate 200 wounded civilians is underway. |
| #BREAKING: Operation to evacuate around 200 wounded, some critically, from east #Aleppo underway. We’re on the ground with @SYRedCrescent. | #BREAKING: Operation to evacuate around 200 wounded, some critically, from east #Aleppo underway. We’re on the ground with @SYRedCrescent. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 10.51am GMT | at 10.51am GMT |
| 10.21am GMT | 10.21am GMT |
| 10:21 | 10:21 |
| Green buses may have move into eastern Aleppo but activists have told Human Rights Watch that no one has yet been moved out. | Green buses may have move into eastern Aleppo but activists have told Human Rights Watch that no one has yet been moved out. |
| Activists: still no movement of evacuees in #Aleppo | Activists: still no movement of evacuees in #Aleppo |
| A long line of buses was shown on state television crossing to the rebel sector. | A long line of buses was shown on state television crossing to the rebel sector. |
| 10.15am GMT | 10.15am GMT |
| 10:15 | 10:15 |
| Ranj Alaaldin, a Middle East scholar at the London School of Economics, says ceasefires and humanitarian corridors are only temporary fixes to the plight of Syria’s civilians. In an opinion piece for the Guardian he writes: | Ranj Alaaldin, a Middle East scholar at the London School of Economics, says ceasefires and humanitarian corridors are only temporary fixes to the plight of Syria’s civilians. In an opinion piece for the Guardian he writes: |
| Temporary fixes like ceasefires or humanitarian corridors only provide political cover for, and distract attention away from, further atrocities and human rights abuses. Calls for a no-fly zone have been dismissed in the past, as have other measures seen as having the potential to escalate the conflict; but we mustn’t forget that it is the west’s averseness to risk that the Assad regime and its backers in Moscow and Tehran thrive on. Where the international community disengages, dictators and armed gangs fill the vacuum. | Temporary fixes like ceasefires or humanitarian corridors only provide political cover for, and distract attention away from, further atrocities and human rights abuses. Calls for a no-fly zone have been dismissed in the past, as have other measures seen as having the potential to escalate the conflict; but we mustn’t forget that it is the west’s averseness to risk that the Assad regime and its backers in Moscow and Tehran thrive on. Where the international community disengages, dictators and armed gangs fill the vacuum. |
| 10.12am GMT | 10.12am GMT |
| 10:12 | 10:12 |
| More than 20 buses from government held areas of Aleppo have moved into rebel held areas, a witness told Reuters. | More than 20 buses from government held areas of Aleppo have moved into rebel held areas, a witness told Reuters. |
| 10.06am GMT | 10.06am GMT |
| 10:06 | 10:06 |
| Here’s Russian military footage purporting to show green evacuation buses moving into eastern Aleppo. | Here’s Russian military footage purporting to show green evacuation buses moving into eastern Aleppo. |
| CONFIRMEDEvacuation of 1st batch of E. #Aleppo civilians about to begin. At least 20 Green Buses moving into position at #Ramouseh Xing. pic.twitter.com/xqPwbNgzMb | CONFIRMEDEvacuation of 1st batch of E. #Aleppo civilians about to begin. At least 20 Green Buses moving into position at #Ramouseh Xing. pic.twitter.com/xqPwbNgzMb |