8,500 civilians leave east Aleppo: Russia
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Russia and Syria are against lengthy ceasefires in Aleppo, arguing that such pauses would enable the Takfiri terrorists operating there to regain strength.
Russia says around 8,500 civilians have been evacuated from the terrorist-held eastern side of Aleppo via humanitarian corridors, amid ongoing clean-up operations in the northwestern Syrian city.
According to Press TV, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that there were 2,934 children among those evacuated from the occupied parts of Aleppo over the past 24 hours.
The ministry said the Russian military’s sappers and bomb disposal experts were active clearing the areas freed from terrorists' control of mines and unexploded devices.
So far, the experts had cleared some 60,000 square meters (37 square miles), and restored the central water pumping station, two power plants, two schools and two mosques in the city.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Syrian forces had paused active military operations in eastern Aleppo amid a large effort to secure the exit of civilians from violence-hit areas.
“Combat operations by the Syrian Army in eastern Aleppo have been suspended because the largest operation of evacuation of civilians from East Aleppo is being carried out – a column of about 8,000 people, it’s a tremendous operation,” he said.
The Syrian military, which is in control of the western part of the city, has been fighting to wrest back its terrorist-held east. So far it has reclaimed some 85 percent of the eastern part.
Damascus has called on the terrorists holed up in Aleppo’s east to lay down arms and surrender. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has ordered for those terrorists choosing to stop fighting to be granted amnesty.
The recent army gains have flown in the face of the unstinting financial and military support, which many foreign states have been providing to the terrorists since 2011 to secure the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Russian aircraft have been lending support to the Syrian military’s counterterrorism operations since last September, but have withheld fire likewise from time to time due to humanitarian concerns.
ME
