- Title: Syrian civilians return to homes in al-Sakhour district, eastern Aleppo
- Date: 8th December 2016
- Summary: AL-SAKHOUR DISTRICT, EASTERN ALEPPO, SYRIA (DECEMBER 8, 2016) (REUTERS) DAMAGED BUILDING ROAD BLOCK BRIDGE PILLAR WITH GRAFFITI WRITTEN ON IT DAMAGED BUILDING WITH SYRIAN FLAG HANGING OVER ROOF TOP, SOLDIERS IN FRONT OF BUILDING DAMAGED BUILDINGS AND RUBBLE IN STREET BURNT OUT BUS IN MIDDLE OF STREET BRIDGE WITH CARS PARKED UNDERNEATH, SOLDIERS WALKING PAST GRAFFITI READING (Arabic) "AL-FATAH BRIGADE MARE' FREEMEN" DAMAGED BUILDINGS AND RUBBLE, SOLDIER WALKING NEARBY VARIOUS OF PEOPLE RETURNING WITH BELONGINGS TO AL-SAKHOUR YOUNG BOY WITH WHEELBARROW OF BELONGINGS YOUNG GIRL SITTING IN TRAILER BULLDOZER REMOVING RUBBLE WORKERS WASHING THE ROADS BULLDOZER REMOVING RUBBLE WOMEN IN BACK OF SMALL VAN WITH MATTRESSES PILED ON ROOF PICK-UP TRUCK REMOVING RUBBLE FROM STREET ROAD LEADING TO THE AIRPORT VIEW FROM CAR DRIVING THROUGH AL-SAKHOUR, DAMAGED BUILDINGS AND RUBBLE IN STREET TRUCK WITH HEAVY WEAPONRY LOADED ON THE BACK QADI ASKAR DISTRICT, EASTERN ALEPPO, SYRIA (DECEMBER 8, 2016) (REUTERS) GRAFFITI ON WALL READING (Arabic) "JAISH AL-FATAH" SMOKE RISING FROM BEHIND FENCE DAMAGED BRIDGE VARIOUS OF BURNT BARRELS GRAFFITI ON WALL READING (Arabic) "FOUR YEARS AND WE CONTINUE- FROM HORAN TO ALEPPO" RUBBLE IN STREET, BADLY DAMAGED BUILDING CAR DRIVING THROUGH STREET DAMAGED EXTERIOR OF SAADALLH AL-JABIRI SCHOOL BAB AL-HADID, EASTERN ALEPPO, SYRIA (DECEMBER 8, 2016) (REUTERS) DAMAGED SQUARE, DAMAGED BUILDINGS AND TURNED OVER BUSES RUBBLE PILED UP IN THE STREET BUILDING COVERED IN GRAFFITI, SOUND OF EXPLOSIONS IN BACKGROUND WRECKAGE OF TANK BARRELS PARTIALLY BLOCKING STREET AND SOLDIERS WALKING PAST WALL OF BUILDING WITH SHRAPNEL DAMAGE DOOR OF BUILDING WITH GRAFFITI VIEW OF BUILDING THROUGH ARCHWAY
- Embargoed: 23rd December 2016 18:03
- Keywords: Syria Aleppo civilians Sakhour district
- Location: ALEPPO, SYRIA
- City: ALEPPO, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Reuters ID: LVA0015C0YP8N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Syrian civilians began returning to their homes in al-Sakhour district in eastern Aleppo on Thursday (December 9) after rebel fighters fled the area following intense fighting.
Women and children were seen walking back into the town with their belongings in wheelbarrows or piled high on vehicles.
The extent of the damage left behind by years of fighting was evident in piles of rubble on the street and crumbling buildings.
Some makeshift roadblocks made of barrels and rubble were already being cleared from the streets while Syrian army soldiers walked around.
In two other eastern Aleppo districts, Qadi Askar and Bab al-Hadid, Reuters footage showed badly damaged buildings and the traces of a six-year long war.
The Syrian army's advance in Aleppo slowed on Thursday but a victory was still firmly in sight after President Bashar al-Assad vowed that retaking the nation's second city would change the course of the civil war in his favour.
Lightning gains in recent days in which government forces and their allies recaptured Aleppo's historic Old City lost some momentum in the face of stiff rebel resistance but the Syrian leadership was confident.
Assad has long sought to seize divided Aleppo which would put him in control of Syria's major cities, the south, central spine and western flank bordering the Mediterranean, dealing a devastating blow to rebels who have fought to unseat him.
Government forces have in the past two weeks seized more than two-thirds of rebel-held eastern Aleppo, which had been in insurgents hands for years. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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