17 December,2016 08:13 AM IST | | Agencies
Putin announces peace initiative, says Russia and Turkey will set up talks
An injured Syrian woman from Aleppo reacts while being transported from the Syrian side of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing to a hospital in Turkey on Friday. Pic/AFP
An injured Syrian woman from Aleppo reacts while being transported from the Syrian side of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing to a hospital in Turkey on Friday. Pic/AFP
Beirut: The Syrian government suspended evacuations from eastern Aleppo hours after they resumed yesterday, saying rebels had opened fire on a convoy of evacuees at a crossing point with the enclave, state TV reported.
It wasn't clear how long the suspension would last or if it would delay the ceasefire deal under which tens of thousands of residents and rebels are being evacuated to opposition-controlled areas, a process likely to take days.
The Syrian TV also claimed that the rebels had tried to take with them captives they had seized and were holding in the rebel enclave during bitter battles to defend their territory from a weeks-long onslaught by Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops.
Earlier yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a major new Syria peace initiative, saying he and his Turkish counterpart are working to set up peace talks between Damascus and the opposition in Kazakhstan.
