Syrian rebels in Aleppo said on Wednesday pro-Assad Shiite militias are obstructing evacuation in the eastern parts of the city, in a sign that the evacuation of the rebel fighters might be delayed. Pro-Syrian opposition Orient TV said evacuation in eastern Aleppo may be delayed until Thursday, Reuters reported.
The evacuation was agreed and the process had begun after Syrian government forces aided by Russia took full control of Aleppo, ending years of gruesome conflict and bloodshed and dealing a significant military victory to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russia-Iran-coalition ably aided by regional Shi'ite militias.
Government buses have arrived in eastern Aleppo but the evacuation is being delayed, BBC reported. With the displaced rebels insisting that even civilians will have to be included in the evacuation, the process is likely to become challenging.
The evacuation of anti Assad rebels was announced by Russia on Tuesday marking the end to the small resistance the rebels had put up over the last few months in the face of Russian air attacks.
Russian ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, told an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Tuesday: "According to the latest information that we received in the last hour, military actions in eastern Aleppo are over."
Meanwhile, the United Nations said on Tuesday mass killings of civilians had taken place in the final stretch of the battle to take control of Aleppo. The UN said there was evidence that at least 82 civilians were killed while many have been missing. The US accused the government of Bashar al-Assad, Russia and Iran for the mass killing of civilians.
But Russia's UN ambassador denied the charges saying no one is harming the civilians in Aleppo. "The civilians, they can stay, they can go to safe places, they can take advantage of the humanitarian arrangements that are on the ground. Nobody is going to harm the civilians," Churkin said.
