dk_photos/iStock/Thinkstock(ALEPPO, Syria) — The Syrian government has fully retaken Aleppo from rebels and the city is now for the first time in four years under government control, according to Syrian state TV.
The recapture of Aleppo, formally Syria’s commercial powerhouse, represents a significant victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to regain full authority over Aleppo,
The Syrian army said on state TV that the recapture of Aleppo represented a “strategic transformation” in its battle against terrorism.
The Syrian Arab Red Crescent evacuated around 35,000 people from east Aleppo to neighboring rural areas, including 100 critically wounded and sick patients, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
“Our priority, aside from helping the most vulnerable, was to ensure that civilians were leaving of their own free will”, said the International Red Cross’ Head of Delegation Marianne Gasser from Aleppo. “These are communities whose neighborhoods have been devastated by violence, and families have been struggling for months to find safety, food, medical care or appropriate shelter. They appeared desperate to leave, even though the situation was extremely painful and confusing.”
Evacuations, which had resumed Wednesday after a tense delay, were part of a ceasefire brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran. Chaos had previously surrounded the operation, which had broken down several times.
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