Sources say extremist rebels prevent people from leaving eastern Syria's Aleppo

Ultra-radical rebels fired mortar shells and sniper shots at a crossing designed to allow civilians to leave rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo on Thursday, a military source told Xinhua.

The Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, previously known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, are preventing residents from leaving eastern Aleppo, threatening to burn down the homes of those who want to cross into government-controlled areas in western Aleppo.

The Syrian government and Russia has demanded that rebels who want to leave for other rebel-controlled areas in the countryside of Aleppo, as well as civilians who want to move to government-controlled territories in Aleppo, do so from Thursday, the start of a three-day "humanitarian truce."

State news agency SANA reported that a number of rebels left on Wednesday evening, but on Thursday the ultra-radicals of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham were said to have stalled the evacuation.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Syrian officers are calling via loudspeakers on the rebels to allow the residents to leave at the Bustan al-Qaser crossing between rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo and the government-controlled ones in the west.

The general-command of the Syrian army said in a statement that the humanitarian truce will go into effect from 8 a.m. local time to 7 p.m. for three days.

The statement urged the rebels to lay down their weapons and take advantage of the pardon issued by President Bashar al-Assad to all rebels who surrender themselves to the Syrian army.

The general-command said it had detailed information on the whereabouts and positions of the rebels in the eastern part of Aleppo city, warning that "any armed man who doesn't take the chance of the declared truce, will meet his doomed fate."

The statement accused rebels in eastern Aleppo of holding hundreds of families hostage.

SANA said that in addition to a number of armed rebels, some wounded, sick and aged people also exited eastern Aleppo Wednesday evening through the passages designated by the Syrian army and the Russian side.

The evacuation of ultra-radical groups, mainly the terror-designated Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, from Aleppo, is a key condition set by Russia and the Syrian government for easing a military offensive against eastern Aleppo.

Earlier in the day, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that units of the Syrian army have pulled back to allow the rebels to leave the eastern part of Aleppo.

In the statement, the ministry said the military forces withdrew from certain areas, giving rebels two roads to leave Aleppo for the northwestern city of Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo, as part of a truce recently declared by Russia.

The 11-hour truce also comes into effect on Thursday.

The Foreign Ministry statement also noted the pardon ordered by Assad for rebels who surrender themselves.

The statement spoke of "all possible efforts" taken to secure the evacuation of civilians and rebels from eastern Aleppo, and to deliver aid to the people who will stay inside that part of the city. Endit