TV station says delay may be until Thursday; win for Assad, but war not over
Protesters hold placards during a demonstration in solidarity with Aleppo residents, outside the entrance to Downing Street, in central London. Pic/AFP
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Aleppo: The planned evacuation of rebel districts of Aleppo stalled yesterday as air strikes and shelling hit the city and Iran was said to have imposed conditions on the deal.
Iran, one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main backers, wanted a simultaneous evacuation of the wounded from two villages, Foua and Kefraya, that are besieged by rebel fighters, according to rebel and UN sources.
Rebel groups said that was an excuse to hold up the evacuation from a shrunken insurgent enclave shattered by a powerful government offensive. A pro-opposition TV station said the operation could now be delayed until Thursday.
A ceasefire brokered on Tuesday by Russia and Turkey was intended to end years of fighting in the city, giving the Syrian leader his biggest victory in more than five years of war. But air strikes, shelling and gunfire erupted yesterday and Turkey accused government forces of breaking the truce.
Syrian state television said rebel shelling had killed six people.
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