- Title: Syrians return home in eastern Aleppo after army retakes district
- Date: 4th December 2016
- Summary: HANANO DISTRICT, EASTERN ALEPPO, SYRIA (DECEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) DAMAGED BUILDINGS VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS GETTING OUT OF BUSES FAMILY HOLDING SYRIAN FLAG HEADING TO THEIR HOME WOMEN TRILLING AND SAYING "MAY GOD PROTECT SYRIA AND THE ARMY AND MAY ALL SYRIA RETURN" BABY GIRL CHEERING "GOD SALUTE THE ARMY" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HANANO RESIDENT, FADIA HARRO, SAYING: "I just returned home but I can not believe I am in Hanano. I have nothing to say. I can't describe my happiness. It is ok, our homes were destroyed but we gained victory and returned." VARIOUS OF FAMILIES WALKING IN HANANO STREETS WOMEN SITTING IN THE STREET MAN STANDING NEAR WINDOW IN HIS HOME / MAKING VICTORY SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HANANO RESIDENT, YOUSSEF MAAZ KHAYYAT, SAYING: "I wish that Hanano and all Aleppo return to the way they were." FAMILY ARRIVING HOME VARIOUS OF FAMILY CHEERING SYRIAN PRESIDENT, BASHAR AL-ASSAD VARIOUS OF FAMILY IN THE HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HANANO RESIDENT, QAMAR, SAYING: "We became alive once again. We vowed to kiss the soil of Hanano because we were born here and grew up here. We have so many nice memories here. It wasn't like this but by god's will, everything will be made up." VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION SIGN ON WALL VARIOUS OF BOY FILLING BOTTLE WITH WATER DAMAGED SHOPS BUILDING OF THE OPPOSITION LEADERSHIP HOLE IN THE GROUND VARIOUS OF WALL WITH THE OPPOSITION FLAG AND GRAFFITI READING (Arabic): "ISLAM JOINS US" VARIOUS OF A SYRIAN ARMY CENTRE WITH SYRIAN AND RUSSIAN FLAGS ON ROOF RUSSIAN SOLDIER SITTING BY ARMY TRUCK
- Embargoed: 19th December 2016 15:09
- Keywords: Syria Aleppo Hanano residents return
- Location: HANANO DISTRICT, EASTERN ALEPPO, SYRIA
- City: HANANO DISTRICT, EASTERN ALEPPO, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Reuters ID: LVA0015BGXD1J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of residents who fled eastern Aleppo for government-held areas began returning to their homes in the Hanano district on Sunday (December 4) after it was recently captured from the rebels.
The Syrian government took journalists to Hanano, using a road through the city centre that was reopened two days ago.
A Reuters journalist said buses leaving from western Aleppo were bringing a steady stream of people to inspect homes they had not seen in years.
Russian military trucks also delivered aid to the captured eastern districts of eastern Aleppo.
Syrian army called on the residents to return to their homes on Saturday (December 3) promising them that it will recapture all Aleppo from rebels.
A Syrian military source said the army aimed to take full control of Aleppo within weeks, after seizing swathes of the city's rebel-held east in an advance poised to deal a major blow to the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad.
Under relentless attack, the rebels may have no choice but to negotiate a withdrawal from their shrinking, besieged enclave in eastern Aleppo, where tens of thousands of civilians are thought to be sheltering.
The United Nations estimates that close to 30,000 people have been displaced by the latest fighting, 18,000 of them leaving for government-held areas, a further 8,500 going to the Kurdish-controlled neighbourhood of Sheikh Maqsoud and the rest moving within rebel-held areas.
U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura has said more than 100,000 people may still be in the rebel-held area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group that reports on the war, said it could be as many as 200,000 people. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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