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Evacuation of Aleppo underway

Residents in eastern Aleppo are starting to board buses and ambulances at the start of an evacuation that is part of the rebel enclave's surrender.

People ride in a truck in the rebel-held part of Aleppo
The first convoy of patients has started to move from east to west Aleppo, a monitoring group says. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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At least 17 buses and 10 ambulances have driven out of the rebel-held part of Aleppo, a Reuters reporter in the city said, carrying people being evacuated as part of a ceasefire deal.

On Thursday Syrian state TV showed the convoy of ambulances followed by a long line of green buses driving from the Ramousah district next to the rebel-held area of Aleppo, which has been besieged for months by Syrian government forces and their allies.

Earlier Syrian activists said residents in eastern Aleppo were starting to board buses and ambulances, the first step in an evacuation that is part of the rebel enclave's effective surrender.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says ambulances and municipal buses crossed from the government territory and arrived shortly after noon on Thursday in the last rebel area in Aleppo.

Syrian state TV has broadcast footage showing a convoy of green-coloured municipal buses rumbling toward the agreed-on evacuation point inside the opposition-held area.

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The spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, Ingy Sedky said their staff has arrived with Syrian Arab Red Crescent ambulances and workers to evacuate the wounded.

The ICRC says it's preparing to evacuate 200 wounded people, some in critical condition.

A Russian general, meanwhile, said Russia has begun evacuating about 5,000 militants and their families from Aleppo under an order from President Vladimir Putin.

A humanitarian corridor stretching more than 20 kilometres has been established for the evacuation, including "15 kilometres through territories controlled by illegally armed groups," General Valery Gerasimov said in comments carried by state news agency TASS.


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