A ceasefire accord reached in Aleppo after reports of massacre
A cease-fire agreement has been reached that would allow civilians and remaining rebel fighters trapped in the besieged Syrian city to evacuate, NBC confirmed Tuesday, after a summary massacre by pro-government forces was reported by the UN.. Five buses will head into the enclave in the eastern section of the city to pick up the survivors around 5 a.m. Wednesday local time, a source said.
Although Russia says that fighting has ended, some issues are still unclear or in negotiation. Russia’s UN ambassador Vtaly Churkin said that while “military actions in eastern Aleppo are over,” only rebels will be allowed to leave the city. Rebel groups say the deal was meant to allow thousands of civilians to be evacuated. Churkin insisted that since military actions were over, “there is no issue of cessation of hostilities (ceasefire) or special humanitarian operations.” The Syrian government has re-established control over eastern Aleppo, he said.
It was not immediately clear what weapons the fighters will be allowed to take with them. Yasser al-Yusuf of the Nurdin Az-Zinki brigade told the AFP news agency that its fighters had been allowed to evacuate east Aleppo and take light weapons with them, as negotiations continued between rebels and Syrian government representatives.