Syrian Army Offers Safe Exits to Civilians in Rebel-held Aleppo

Damascus — The Syrian army on Tuesday offered safe exit to civilians in the rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo, on which it had completed the siege.

The military’s general command said the army had identified several routes and safe passages for civilians wishing to leave the rebel-held neighborhoods in the eastern parts of Aleppo, adding that maps of the routes were being sent to the cellphones of the civilians.

He urged the civilians in the areas to join the government-proposed reconciliations and expel the rebels out of their homes and neighborhoods.

The new move comes a week after the Syrian troops and allied fighters succeeded in cutting off the last rebel supply route connecting the northern countryside of Aleppo and eastern parts of the city.

Aleppo, located near the borders with Turkey, is Syria’s largest city and once an economic hub. It has been a focal point of clashes between the Syrian army and the rebels.

In the summer of 2012, thousands of armed militants stormed residential districts of Aleppo, striking the economic nerves of the Syrian government, which has repeatedly accused Turkey of supporting the rebels.

After capturing several districts in eastern Aleppo city, the rebels repeatedly tried to expand their presence to government-controlled areas in the west.

They laid a siege on western Aleppo districts after cutting the international road to Aleppo in 2014, which was broken later by the Syrian army with the help of Hezbollah. (PNA/Xinhua) JMC/EBP