- Title: Residents in east Aleppo flee on government buses as Syrian army advances
- Date: 27th November 2016
- Summary: ALEPPO, SYRIA (NOVEMBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) GREEN GOVERNMENT BUS AT THE RIZZ CROSSING POINT IN KURDISH-CONTROLLED WESTERN BUSTAN AL BASHA VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON BUSES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED SYRIAN WOMAN, SAYING: "We lived a very terrible life. We were humiliated. We saw death. There is no bread, no food, no sugar, no cigarettes, no anything." CHILDREN ON BUS CIVILIANS ON BUS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED SYRIAN MAN, SAYING: "Bread made with barley. There is no aid, no jobs and no money." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON BUS PEOPLE ON BUS CHEERING FOR SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SEATED ON BUS
- Embargoed: 12th December 2016 23:14
- Keywords: Syria Aleppo residents uprooted evacuated Hanano offensive rebels Syrian army allies
- Location: ALEPPO, SYRIA
- City: ALEPPO, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
- Reuters ID: LVA0015A7ZHVR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Several thousand residents of rebel-held eastern Aleppo fled shifting frontlines, sources said on Sunday (November 27) after a rapid advance by the Syrian army and allied forces.
Fleeing residents were temporarily transported by green government buses to the Rizz crossing point in Kurdish-controlled western Bustan al Basha in Aleppo, before being moved to shelters in government-controlled territories.
The army and its allies took control on Saturday (November 26) of the large Hanano housing district, on the northeast frontline of the besieged eastern part of Aleppo. On Sunday they said they had captured the neighbouring district, Jabal Badro.
The army later said it had taken a third district, Holok, and killed a large number of terrorists, the term it uses for its opponents. State media said troops and allied forces were also pushing ahead in nearby Bustan al Basha, Haydariya and Sakhour districts.
"We lived a very terrible life. We were humiliated. We saw death. There is no bread, no food, no sugar, no cigarettes, no anything," said one woman travelling on the government bus.
"There is no aid, no jobs and no money," added another man on the bus.
The rapid advances in the last two days, after weeks of intense Russian and Syrian air strikes, have raised fears among the insurgents that the northern part of east Aleppo could be cut off from the southern part.
That would weaken their control over the east and bring more residents closer to frontlines.
Civilians on the bus expressed support and cheered for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Capturing all of Aleppo would be a major victory for Assad after five and a half years of fighting that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced 11 million others.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict, said about 400 people travelled into government-controlled Hanano from neighbouring rebel-held districts, from where some were transferred to government-held western Aleppo.
State media said at least 1,500 people in rebel-held areas had fled to state controlled territory in the biggest exodus since months of heavy bombing on rebel-held areas where few civilians had left despite several corridors the army said it opened to for them and rebels who wanted to surrender.
The army had blamed rebels for holding back civilians from leaving east Aleppo, saying they were using them as human shields.
Hundreds were are also crossing into an Aleppo district held by the Kurdish YPG militia, which has largely avoided fighting the Syrian government and has been spared air attacks. Rebels said the militia had also been exploiting the army advance to grab more territory.
Russian news agencies, citing the Defence Ministry, said on Sunday more than 900 civilians, including 119 children, had left Jabal Badro in the last 24 hours. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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