Thousands in Aleppo cold and hungry as clashes continue and evacuation on hold

Smoke is seen billowing in the background on December 14, 2016 in a rebel-held neighbourhood in Aleppo. AFP

ALEPPO // Clashes erupted in the Syria city of Aleppo on Wednesday and a deal for the evacuation of rebel areas was on hold, leaving thousands of cold and hungry civilians uncertain of their future.

Entire families had gathered in the early hours, in the hope of leaving Aleppo after an agreement announced the night before for rebels to withdraw from the city.

But the first expected departures around 5.00am (7.00am UAE time) were delayed.

Hours later, fighting again began to shake the city.

The landmark deal – which would mark the end of opposition resistance in Syria’s second city after years of fighting – appeared increasingly precarious as the government, the rebels, and their foreign allies traded accusations.

Turkey’s president said he would speak to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in an effort to rescue a ceasefire deal which would allow civilians and rebel fighters to leave Aleppo.

“I will speak with Mr Putin again later in the evening,” president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Ankara. “The situation on the ground is very fragile and complicated.”

Moscow, a key ally of Bashar Al Assad that launched an air war in support of his forces last year, said the Syrian army resumed its operations in Aleppo after “an attack by the terrorists was warded off”.

But Mr Erdogan accused Mr Assad’s forces of breaking the deal and attacking civilians.

The last pocket of rebel-held territory in east Aleppo came under heavy tank fire which resulted in several wounded civilians.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor, claimed air strikes had also hit rebel areas and that there were “very intense clashes on every front line”.

State television said rebel rocket fire on government-controlled areas had also resumed, with at least seven people reported dead.

Rebels and a source close to the regime said the evacuation had been suspended after objections from Syria’s government.

The source said Damascus had baulked when the rebels wanted to increase the number of those to be evacuated from 2,000 to 10,000.

* Agence France-Presse