LIVE UPDATE: Aleppo evacuation underway

4:55pm

The first convoy to leave eastern Aleppo carried 951 women, children and the wounded, Reuters reported citing a Syrian official.

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3:47 pm

Rebel fighters and their families transported out of eastern Aleppo

Syria's State TV shows a number of buses and ambulances transporting rebel fighters and their families out of eastern Aleppo from  the Ramouseh crossing. It said the evacuation is underway with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"20 buses [and] 13 ambulances [are] crossing the front line with civilians from east Aleppo, some critically wounded," the ICRC from Syria said. 

The ICRC's Regional Director Robert Mardini tweeted that the first group includes 26 wounded people who are evacuated to western Aleppo. 

First group of 26 wounded escorted by @ICRC_sy & @SARC_Aleppo are leaving now E #Aleppo on their way to western rural Aleppo.

— Robert Mardini (@RMardiniICRC) December 15, 2016

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3:17 pm

five thousands rebel fighters and their families are expected to be evacuated from the rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo, Syria's state TV reported citing  the Russian Defense Ministry. 

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3:10 pm

EU High Representative: “Serious transition in Syria needed. This can not be built on ruins of Aleppo”

Federica Mogherin, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security  Policy, told reporters that Aleppo is not the end of war in Syria, and that true,inclusive and serious transition is needed. 

“Serious transition in Syria needed. This can not be built on ruins of Aleppo” — High Representative of EU for Foreign Affairs @FedericaMog. pic.twitter.com/Y1jUsGyUbl

— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) December 15, 2016

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2:55 pm

Simultaneous evacuation in Idlib province  underway 

Twenty-nine buses and ambulances are heading towards the Shiite villages of Foua and Kefraya in Idlib province to evacuate injured people and a umber of families, Hama Governor told the Syrian regime media. 

The Wednesday evacuation collapsed because Iran insisted that these two villages, controlled by the Syrian regime forces and its allies, should simultaneously be evacuated. 

Meanwhile, the evacuation of 200 injured people from East Aleppo has begun by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Syria’s Red Crescent.

The Regional Director for ICRC Robert Mardini said their teams are doing all they can, and reported that they are safe.

Operation to evacuate wounded well underway in east #Aleppo. Our teams are safe and doing all they can on the ground. More updates to come.

— Robert Mardini (@RMardiniICRC) December 15, 2016

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12:50 pm

Turkey welcomes its "brothers and sisters" from eastern Aleppo 

The spokesperson for the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country have made all the preparation in Idlib, northwestern Syria, and in Turkey to receive "our brothers and sisters" from eastern Aleppo.

Evacuations from Eastern Aleppo start this morning. Preparations have been made in Idlib and Turkey. Awaiting our brothers and sisters.

— Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) December 15, 2016

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12:41 pm

Syria's state TV shows ambulances starting to move to rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo.

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12:36 pm

Rebel fighters set fire to their bases before leaving their areas

Plumes of smoke rise above the war-torn eastern Aleppo  as the Syrian rebel fighters, said to number about 4,000, and some activists set fire to their bases and belongings before leaving their areas, , the UK-based Syrian Observatory fro Human Rights reported, and also confirmed by Syria's state TV. 

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12:22 pm

4,000 rebel fighters to be evacuated from eastern Aleppo

All preparation have been done to evacuate 4,000 rebel fighters from eastern Aleppo along with their families, Syria's state TV reported. 

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12:07 pm

Aleppo evacuation "suspended" 

Raed Al Saleh, the head of the Syrian Civil Defence says the evacuation has been "suspecnded" because one of its teams have come under fire by the Syrian regmie forces and its alllies. He  said four people got injurred in the attack, including the head of the first responders regiment in Aleppo. Al Saleh said attack is a "violation" of the ceasefire. 

the evacuation process suspended second time because of ceasefire violation by assad regime during evacuating injuries,#Aleppo

— Raed Al Saleh (@RaedAlSaleh3) December 15, 2016

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11:35 am

White Helmet volunteer shot and injured in Aleppo

The Syrian Civil Defense also known as the White Helmets, claims that one of its volunteers was shot and injured while clearing an evacuation route for ambulances in Aleppo. 

While clearing evacuation route from Aleppo City for ambulances, White Helmet shot by Regime sniper while driving JCB/wheel loader. 15/12/16

— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) December 15, 2016

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11:10 am

 International Committee of the Red Cross evacuates wounded militants from eastern Aleppo 

The Russian Defense Ministry says the International Committee of the Red Cross employees are engaged in assisting and transportation wounded militants from eastern Aleppo, the Russian News Agency Interfax reported. 

Meanwhile, the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV streamed live from the Ramouseh crossing in eastern Aleppo, where Syrian Arab Red Crescent Ambulances are waiting to evacuate wounded and sick Syrians out of the besieged quadrant of the city.