Opposition, Assad regime forces reach ceasefire deal

ANKARA

Syrian opposition forces in eastern Aleppo have reached a ceasefire deal with Bashar al-Assad forces to evacuate civilians in the besieged city.

According to Turkish intelligence officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media, said the deal came after Turkey-brokered talks with Russia that were concluded at 7 p.m. local time.

Assad regime stopped its attacks as of 7 p.m., Anadolu Agency correspondents reported from the region.

As part of the fresh deal, the civilians trapped in the conflict-hit zone will be moved via buses to the western part of the city.

Later, the opposition fighters will be evacuated. The same sources said a large number of opposition fighters agreed to leave the city.

According to Turkish security officials Anadolu Agency contacted, the preparations were under way to transfer the civilians to opposition-controlled Idlib.

The priority will be given to sick and wounded people, the security officials said.

The final plan is due to be clarified after talks between Turkish and Russian officials on Wednesday.

In a news conference, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu confirmed the truce and said Turkey had been making efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor over the past weeks.

Muftuoglu welcomed the truce and went on to say: "It is worthwhile to take into consideration that there is a fragile environment and to behave cautiously."

Since mid-November, more than 1,071 civilians have been killed in eastern Aleppo in attacks by Syrian regime and Russian warplanes, according to local sources.

The fierce bombardments have forced most of the city’s hospitals to halt operations, while most academic activities have been indefinitely suspended.

Recent days have seen the Russia-backed Assad regime reestablish control over parts of Aleppo captured four years ago by armed opposition groups.

Syria has been locked in a devastating civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which had erupted as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed by the conflict and millions more displaced.