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Aleppo battle: Rebels burn Syria evacuation buses | Aleppo battle: Rebels burn Syria evacuation buses |
(35 minutes later) | |
Several buses en route to evacuate the sick and injured from two government-held villages in Syria's Idlib province have been burned by rebels. | Several buses en route to evacuate the sick and injured from two government-held villages in Syria's Idlib province have been burned by rebels. |
The convoy was travelling to Foah and Kefraya, besieged by rebel fighters. | The convoy was travelling to Foah and Kefraya, besieged by rebel fighters. |
Pro-government forces are demanding people be allowed to leave the mainly Shia villages in order for the evacuation of east Aleppo to restart. | Pro-government forces are demanding people be allowed to leave the mainly Shia villages in order for the evacuation of east Aleppo to restart. |
Despite the apparent setback, buses carrying people from Aleppo have started to leave, state media say. | |
The initial plan to evacuate eastern Aleppo collapsed on Friday, leaving civilians stranded at various points along the route out without access to food or shelter. | The initial plan to evacuate eastern Aleppo collapsed on Friday, leaving civilians stranded at various points along the route out without access to food or shelter. |
Despite delays caused by disagreements over the new evacuation plan, buses were due to evacuate people from both eastern Aleppo and the government-held villages in Idlib province on Sunday, according to reports. | |
However, UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said six buses were attacked and torched on the way to Foah and Kefraya. | However, UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said six buses were attacked and torched on the way to Foah and Kefraya. |
Syrian state media said "armed terrorists" attacked five buses, burned and destroyed them. | Syrian state media said "armed terrorists" attacked five buses, burned and destroyed them. |
Several reports from opposition sources said that militants from Jabhat Fath al-Sham, formerly al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, were responsible for setting the buses on fire. But Hezbollah's al-Manar TV and Beirut-based pro-Syrian government al-Mayadin TV said clashes between jihadist and Islamist rebel groups had resulted in the blaze. | |
Rebel groups have not yet commented on the attack. | Rebel groups have not yet commented on the attack. |
Syrian state media said buses entered eastern Aleppo around noon local time, under the supervision of the International Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. | |
Some 1,200 people were due to be taken out of the former rebel enclave in return for a similar number moved out of the two government-held villages, Foah and Kefraya. | |
Pro-government forces had reportedly demanded that a group of people needing medical treatment also be allowed to leave the two areas. | |
Reports said a new agreement was reached in the early hours of Sunday but delays meant thousands of civilians remained stranded. |