Syrian opposition groups reached a deal with representatives of Russia and Turkey on Tuesday to evacuate the last pockets of eastern Aleppo that they control, The New York Times reported.
The agreement came as the Syrian army and allied forces seemed poised to capture nearly all of Aleppo after completing their siege of the heavily-bombarded city on Monday.
Evacuations could begin Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, according to officials. Details remain unclear as to whether fighters will also be permitted to leave.
The news came just hours after the United Nations received credible reports that government forces, which are backed by Russia and Iran, executed at least 82 civilians as they advanced on rebel-held Aleppo.
Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the UN high commissioner for human rights, told reporters that the death toll from the Syrian offensive included at least eleven women and thirteen children—some shot in the streets as they tried to escape. Syrian government troops allegedly entered homes and killed anyone, including women and children, “on the spot,” Colville said. He also cited “disturbing” reports of bodies that lay abandoned in the streets because other residents feared being shot on sight.
This drone footage reveals the extent of the of the devastation in Aleppo https://t.co/lcoFsopLww https://t.co/9Yevhv858u
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 13, 2016
Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN office coordinating emergency relief, said that 37,000 people had fled the eastern part of the city and nearly 15,000 have been gathered into collective shelters. Laerke called the situation in Aleppo “a complete meltdown of humanity.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called the attacks on eastern Aleppo a “martyrdom.”
Iran state television is showing live images from Aleppo, says the city is liberated. Expert calls it a "great victory of resistance." pic.twitter.com/encYvXNzrL
— Thomas Erdbrink (@ThomasErdbrink) December 12, 2016
Reporters for The Daily Beast have collected reports from residents of eastern Aleppo on social media, who painted an even more desperate picture of the situation there. One woman, Lina al-Shamy posted a video of herself on Twitter giving a testimony:
To everyone who can hear me. We are here exposed to a genocide in the besieged city of Aleppo. This may be my last video. More than 50,000 civilians who rebelled against the dictator, al-Assad, are threatened with field executions or dying under bombing. According to activists, more than 180 people have been field executed in the areas the regime has recently retook control of by Assad’s gangs and the militias that support them. The civilians are stuck in a very small area that doesn’t exceed two square kilometers. With no safe zones, no life, every bomb is a new massacre. Save Aleppo, save humanity.
[Photo: DW (English) / YouTube ]