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Syria army renews calls for rebels to allow civilians out of eastern Aleppo

Xinhua, November 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Syrian army on Tuesday renewed calls on the rebels to allow the civilians to leave rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo, according to state news agency SANA.

In a statement, the general-command of the Syrian army urged the rebels in eastern Aleppo to allow the civilians who want to leave rebel-held areas to evacuate, and to open the warehouses of food for the civilians in that area.

The army stressed that the Syrian government allows the evacuation of the wounded and ill out of eastern Aleppo toward the government-controlled part, west of Aleppo, through passageways the government has previously identified.

This comes amid news that the civilians in eastern Aleppo have recently attacked warehouses containing food stuffs under the rebel control as a result of the tough situation in eastern Aleppo.

Activists also said that all hospitals in rebel-held areas in Aleppo city have been rendered out of service as a result of the intense shelling by the government forces.

Meanwhile, the Syrian army urged the civilians to cooperate with the Syrian army and avoid venturing out in the streets and to stay away from the rebel positions.

The statement also encouraged the rebels to take the chance of the presidential pardon by laying down their weapons and surrendering themselves in exchange for an amnesty.

A military source also told Xinhua that Syrian aircrafts dropped leaflets on eastern Aleppo on Tuesday, urging the rebels to surrender.

UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, proposed recently the evacuation of the ultra-radical groups from eastern Aleppo, while other rebel groups can maintain a local administration in their areas.

However, the Syrian government rejected the proposal, and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem made it clear that the Syrian administration has taken a decision for retaking all of Aleppo back.

For months, the Syrian government and Russia have been urging rebels to leave Aleppo, offering them safe passages to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The rebels, however, turned down all offers, which has resulted in intensified violence. Endit