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Several militants surrender in E Aleppo, turn in arms

Saturday, 30 July 2016 10:01 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 30 July 2016 10:06 AM ]

Syrian army soldiers patrol the area around the entrance of Aleppo’s Bani Zeid district on July 28, 2016. ©AFP

A number of militants operating in the eastern areas of the Syrian city of Aleppo have laid down their weapons and surrendered themselves to government troops, who are making more gains in the embattled province.

The capitulation took place in Aleppo’s Salaheddine neighborhood on Saturday, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.

The report further noted that tens of families went out through the corridors set up by army forces for the safe departure of the civilians trapped by terrorist groups in Aleppo’s eastern districts.

The families were sent by the Syrian army to makeshift centers upon their arrival to the Salaheddine neighborhood, the report added.

Earlier this week, the Syrian army sent text messages to residents and terrorists in eastern Aleppo, saying it will grant safe passage to people wishing to leave the area.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also vowed amnesty for those who turn in their weapons, stressing that the policy has been exercised by Damascus since the beginning of the crisis in the Middle Eastern country.

Meanwhile, Russia announced several corridors for civilians and surrendering militants to leave Aleppo’s eastern parts.

Aleppo Province also completed arrangements to receive the citizens fleeing militant-held eastern Aleppo and house them in well-equipped temporary accommodation centers.

A picture taken on July 29, 2016 shows a general view of the Karaj al-Hajz corridor (C) in the militant-held part of Aleppo, leading towards the government-controlled area of the Masharqa neighborhood (background). ©AFP

However, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-base monitoring group, said that several Aleppo residents, who were seeking to exit, were turned back by terrorists.

Since March 2011, Syria has been gripped by militancy it blames on some Western states and their regional allies.

The Takfiri terrorists operating in the Arab country have suffered major setbacks over the past few months as the Syrian army has managed to liberate a number of areas from the grip of the extremists.

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

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