“Four humanitarian corridors are being opened, in addition to those prepared earlier for the exit of civilians from Aleppo neighborhoods controlled by militants”, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
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State TV also showed dozens of women and children arriving in a street lined with heavily damaged buildings in the government-held part of Aleppo’s Salaheddine neighborhood.
The Syrian army received the families at Salahuddien district, transporting them to temporary shelters by bus.
The report also said some fighters had surrendered to the authorities.
Syrian state television on Saturday showed scores of mostly women gathered in a government-controlled area of the city, saying how conditions in rebel-held areas were hard and chanting praise for Syrian President Bashar al Assad.
The government completely closed the main road into rebel-held areas of Aleppo on July 17, besieging the 300,000 people living there.
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Syrian rebels say these latest efforts to help the population out of the wartorn city is a ploy and it’s targeted at recapturing the once political centre.
“The regime claimed today that they opened the crossings towards Salaheddin, and this is all hearsay and lies”, said Iyat Abu Mohamed, a commander with the Nureddin al-Zinki rebel group.
Usually surrendering fighters are questioned by government authorities and then sign a pledge promising not to take up arms against the Syrian state again. Global aid organizations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent have been distributing aid to besieged areas around Syria over the past weeks.
Syrian opposition activists expressed deep skepticism over the government’s humanitarian corridors.
Residents in these areas who were contacted said many were hesitant to enter into government-held areas for fear of arrest by government forces with no presence of any United Nations body or NGO’s to oversee the evacuation. “The message is clear: stop bombing hospitals and civilian infrastructures, allow the severely sick and wounded to be evacuated, and do not cut the supply of food, drugs and vital goods into the city”. Not a single person left.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said around 20 people had crossed from the east into the west, but insisted none were rebels.
“The regime, Iran and Russian Federation should have stopped the aerial raids if they have the smallest concern for humanity”, one resident said.
On Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the initiative could sour cooperation with Russian Federation on Syria if it turned out to be a “ruse”.
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Meanwhile, opposition activists reported air strikes on several towns and villages in Aleppo province, including the village of Ibin where at least six people were killed.
