Shelling and air strikes sent terrified residents running through the streets of Aleppo yesterday as a deal to evacuate rebel districts of the city was in danger of falling apart.

The agreement reached Tuesday was meant to pave the way for thousands of civilians and fighters to evacuate the city. But cold and hungry civilians who had gathered before dawn to evacuate were instead plunged back into a familiar nightmare.

“The wounded and dead are lying in the street. No one dares to try and retrieve the bodies,” activist Mohammad Al Khatib said.

The evacuation, agreed under a deal brokered by Russia and Turkey, had been due to begin at 5am but was delayed.

Moscow, a staunch ally of President Bashar Al Assad, said Damascus resumed its assault on Aleppo after rebels violated the ceasefire.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow expected resistance in the city to end in the next “two to three days”.

Al Assad told Russia Today that western countries were seeking a cease-fire Aleppo in order to stop his government’s advance in the city and “keep the terrorists and save them.” He also said the capture of the ancient city of Palmyra by Daesh terrorists was to “distract” from the Aleppo offensive.

Iranian officials celebrated the impending defeat of rebels in Aleppo, saying it showed that Tehran had become the leading power in the region.

Defence Minister Hussain Dehghan rang his Syrian counterpart to congratulate him on the “victories of the Syrian army and resistance forces in liberating Aleppo”.

“The coalition between Iran, Russia, Syria and Hezbollah led to the liberation of Aleppo and will next liberate Mosul,” said Yahya Safavi, top adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Safavi said a message was being sent to the US President-elect Donald Trump.

“The new American president must accept the reality that Iran is the leading power in the region,” he said.

source: GULF NEWS