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| Aleppo Evacuation Suspended After 8,000 People Removed | Aleppo Evacuation Suspended After 8,000 People Removed |
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| BEIRUT, Lebanon — The process of evacuating residents from the last rebel-held area of Aleppo broke down on Friday, a day after Syrian government buses and ambulances began taking residents out of the besieged area. | BEIRUT, Lebanon — The process of evacuating residents from the last rebel-held area of Aleppo broke down on Friday, a day after Syrian government buses and ambulances began taking residents out of the besieged area. |
| The reason for the suspension was not immediately clear: Antigovernment activists reported hearing explosions near the gathering point for those seeking to leave, and the state news media accused rebel fighters of firing on convoys of evacuees. | The reason for the suspension was not immediately clear: Antigovernment activists reported hearing explosions near the gathering point for those seeking to leave, and the state news media accused rebel fighters of firing on convoys of evacuees. |
| The evacuations, brokered by Turkey and Russia and put in place by Syria and the Red Cross, began Thursday morning after violence in the war-torn city caused delays. They continued overnight, providing hope that the cease-fire between the government and rebel forces in the city was holding. | The evacuations, brokered by Turkey and Russia and put in place by Syria and the Red Cross, began Thursday morning after violence in the war-torn city caused delays. They continued overnight, providing hope that the cease-fire between the government and rebel forces in the city was holding. |
| A separate operation to evacuate civilians from two Shiite villages in Idlib Province that have long been surrounded by rebel forces also began on Thursday, although its status remained unclear. | A separate operation to evacuate civilians from two Shiite villages in Idlib Province that have long been surrounded by rebel forces also began on Thursday, although its status remained unclear. |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which opposes the government of President Bashar al-Assad and tracks the conflict from Britain, said that no one had been evacuated yet from the two villages, Fua and Kfraya. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which opposes the government of President Bashar al-Assad and tracks the conflict from Britain, said that no one had been evacuated yet from the two villages, Fua and Kfraya. |
| The planned start of the evacuations on Wednesday was aborted when pro-government militias fired on ambulances that were to take evacuees out of rebel-held areas. The evacuation of residents of the Shiite villages was then added to the agreement, and its failure to be carried out may have contributed to the delays on Friday. | The planned start of the evacuations on Wednesday was aborted when pro-government militias fired on ambulances that were to take evacuees out of rebel-held areas. The evacuation of residents of the Shiite villages was then added to the agreement, and its failure to be carried out may have contributed to the delays on Friday. |
| The evacuation deal followed a long siege of the rebel-held area by Syrian government forces and allied militias, during which frequent shelling and airstrikes from Russian and Syrian jets killed hundreds of people and reduced much of the area to rubble. Rebels also shelled the government side of the city, killing and wounding civilians there. | The evacuation deal followed a long siege of the rebel-held area by Syrian government forces and allied militias, during which frequent shelling and airstrikes from Russian and Syrian jets killed hundreds of people and reduced much of the area to rubble. Rebels also shelled the government side of the city, killing and wounding civilians there. |
| Mr. Assad, speaking in a video released Thursday by his office, described the evacuation as “history that is being written,” comparing it to historic watersheds like the birth of Christ and the world wars. | Mr. Assad, speaking in a video released Thursday by his office, described the evacuation as “history that is being written,” comparing it to historic watersheds like the birth of Christ and the world wars. |
| Secretary of State John Kerry denounced the Syrian government in harsh terms. “The Assad regime is actually carrying out nothing short of a massacre,” he said. | Secretary of State John Kerry denounced the Syrian government in harsh terms. “The Assad regime is actually carrying out nothing short of a massacre,” he said. |
| It remains unclear exactly how many people remain in the rebel enclave, but most estimates are between 50,000 and 100,000. Under the terms of the deal, civilian evacuees will be allowed to stay in government-held areas or continue to rebel-held areas to the north and west. Evacuated fighters can only go to rebel areas. | It remains unclear exactly how many people remain in the rebel enclave, but most estimates are between 50,000 and 100,000. Under the terms of the deal, civilian evacuees will be allowed to stay in government-held areas or continue to rebel-held areas to the north and west. Evacuated fighters can only go to rebel areas. |
| Turkey has said it is planning to set up new camps for the displaced in northern Syria, near the border between the two countries. | Turkey has said it is planning to set up new camps for the displaced in northern Syria, near the border between the two countries. |
| President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Friday that he was working with Turkey to begin a new round of talks in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, aimed at ending Syria’s nearly six-year war. | |
| Previous peace talks, overseen by the United Nations and held in Geneva, repeatedly failed to end the war, which has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced about half of Syria’s population. | Previous peace talks, overseen by the United Nations and held in Geneva, repeatedly failed to end the war, which has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced about half of Syria’s population. |
| The crisis in eastern Aleppo has divided world opinion. Many Western countries, Turkey, and Persian Gulf states have backed the rebels, criticizing the Syrian government and its allies for their prosecution of the war. | The crisis in eastern Aleppo has divided world opinion. Many Western countries, Turkey, and Persian Gulf states have backed the rebels, criticizing the Syrian government and its allies for their prosecution of the war. |
| For their part, Syria, Russia and Iran have characterized the rebels as “terrorists” serving foreign agendas and seeking to destroy the country. A report on Friday from the Syrian state news agency, Sana, said that more than 8,000 “terrorists and their families” had been evacuated from Aleppo. | For their part, Syria, Russia and Iran have characterized the rebels as “terrorists” serving foreign agendas and seeking to destroy the country. A report on Friday from the Syrian state news agency, Sana, said that more than 8,000 “terrorists and their families” had been evacuated from Aleppo. |
| The United Nations and the Red Cross have said that most of those leaving are civilians. | The United Nations and the Red Cross have said that most of those leaving are civilians. |