Syrian Rebels Start Surrendering in Aleppo

Russia Adds to Corridors for Civilians to Flee City

by Jason Ditz, July 31, 2016

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According to Syrian state media, an unidentified rebel faction active within Eastern Aleppo has agreed to surrender to the Syrian Army under the terms of an offer last week by the Assad government, which promised pardons to those that willingly disarmed and surrendered.

Aleppo has been contested throughout the Syrian Civil War, and is split roughly down the middle between the Syrian military and several rebel factions, the largest being the Nusra Front. The military has the rebel-held east surrounded, and has been trying to negotiate a settlement.

At the same time, Russia has announced four new humanitarian corridors through which civilians in the rebel-held areas could evacuate from the contested neighborhoods. So far, Russia has reportedly only 169 civilians have left, and the US has criticized calls for civilians to evacuate at all.

Reports on the evacuation have been mixed, with conflicting reports over whether some of the corridors announced by Russia have actually been opened or not, and claims from rebels inside the city that the areas are full of snipers, and too dangerous to evacuate through.

http://news.antiwar.com/2016/07/31/syrian-rebels-start-surrendering-in-aleppo/