Evacuation in Aleppo resumes after one day

Buses loaded with Syrian civilians have begun leaving the last rebel-held enclave of Aleppo again on Dec. 21, after being stalled for a day, a U.N. official and Syrian state TV said. A convoy of 60 buses carrying people had been held up in freezing temperatures on Dec. 21 amid a last-minute hitch. 

"Buses are now moving again from east Aleppo. We hope that this continues so that people can be safely evacuated," the U.N. official in Syria told Reuters by email at 5 p.m. (2 p.m. GMT).   

Syrian TV said that evacuations had resumed from Aleppo and that five buses had arrived at the Ramouseh crossing between the rebel and government sides of the city, after rebels handed over pro-government fighters they took prisoner during previous rounds of fighting.

An Associated Press TV crew said four buses had arrived at the city's rebel-held western countryside, marking the first successful evacuation in over 24 hours.

Earlier in the day Syrian rebels said they had reached an agreement with the government in Damascus to complete their withdrawal from Aleppo.

"An agreement has been reached to resume the evacuation of Aleppo," announced Ahmad Qara Ali, spokesman for the Ahrar al-Sham faction. He said the evacuations would begin "shortly."

The Syrian opposition agreed to surrender their last foothold in the city, last week, marking the most significant victory for President Bashar al-Assad since an uprising against his family's four-decade rule swept the country in 2011.

Turkey said as of Dec. 20, a total of 37,500 people were evacuated from Aleppo, while the International Committee of the Red Cross gave the toll at around 20,000. 

Some 3,000 rebel fighters and civilians stood outside in harsh wintry...