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News outlets report bad weather in Aleppo hampers evacuation of militants

According to Al Arabiya, a cold spell prevented continuing evacuation of people during the night

BEIRUT, December 22. /TASS/. Unfavorable weather conditions have prevented the completion of evacuation of militants and their families from Aleppo, Al Arabiya reported citing a representative of the Free Syrian Army.

Evacuation will continue on Thursday, December 22, the channel said adding that around 4,000 people who want to leave the city remain in eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo.

"A cold spell prevented continuing evacuation of people during the night," a representative of the Free Syrian Army said.

Syria's Al-Watan newspaper earlier said, citing a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), that a large group of militants left eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, adding that among them were injured people and those who need medical assistance. 

Evacuation is expected be completed within the next few hours, and government forces will regain control over neighborhoods after the remaining militants from defeated armed groups leave.

The Syrian Armed Forces will make a special announcement on complete liberation of Aleppo from armed groups.

According to Al Ekhbariya TV station, around 15,000 militants with their families were evacuated over the last days to the western neighborhood of Rashidin, from where they will go the province of Idlib or to the Turkish border - areas controlled by the Syrian armed opposition.

Bashar Assad said the liberation of Aleppo is "an historical event." He said that "endurance of Aleppo residents, edurance of the Syrian people in general and its allies has made success possible." "The course of events in the Syrian conflict has changed after this victory. The situation in the Middle East and on international arena will change as well," Assad concluded.

Suriya al-An information portal said that militants have released servicemen that they held as prisoners. According to the portal, two groups of civilians and injured militiamen arrived to Aleppo and Latakia from Shia towns of Al-Fua and Kefraya in the Idlib province. According to the reached agreements, militants should leave Aleppo at the same time as civilians and militiamen are evacuated from Shia towns in Idlib.