First families leave Aleppo
DAMASCUS: Dozens of civilians left the besieged and battered opposition-held east of Syria’s Aleppo city on Saturday through a “humanitarian corridor” to the governmentheld west, state media reported.
The Britain- based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that “a number” of civilians had crossed into government territory.
The crossings were the first major movement of people from the besieged districts of the city after regime ally Russia announced Thursday that passages would be opened for civilians and surrendering fighters.
State television broadcast foot- age showing civilians, mostly women and children, walking under the watch of government troops and boarding buses.
“This morning dozens of families left via the corridors identified... to allow the exit of citizens besieged by terrorist groups in the eastern neighborhoods,” state news agency SANA reported.
“They were welcomed by members of the army and taken by bus to temporary shelters,” it added.
It said that “a number” of women over the age of 40 had left in addition to the families and were taken to shelters.
SANA added that “armed men from eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo” turned themselves over to army soldiers in Salaheddin district, without specifying a number or giving further details.
State television broadcast footage of a handful of men entering government territory carrying their weapons aloft, some with scarves wrapped around their faces.
Once Syria’s economic powerhouse, Aleppo has been ravaged by the war that began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.
It has been roughly divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since mid-2012.