Aleppo civilians 'flee rebel areas via humanitarian corridors'

Dozens of families have left the besieged opposition-held east of Syria's Aleppo through newly created "humanitarian corridors," according to Syria's state news agency SANA.

The Saturday evacuations came 48 hours after government ally Russia announced that three humanitarian passages would be opened to allow civilians and surrendering fighters to cross from the besieged rebel-held districts of the city to government territory.

"This morning dozens of families left via the corridors identified... to allow the exit of citizens besieged by terrorist groups in the eastern districts," SANA reported.

"They were welcomed by members of the army and taken by bus to temporary shelters," it added. 

Russia on Saturday said it was opening up four new "corridors" for civilians to flee Aleppo, amid reports it was planning a major offensive once it was satisfied enough had left.

"Since the start of the humanitarian operation... 169 civilians have left the areas controlled by illegal armed groups through the exit points," said Russia's defence ministry.

In addition, 69 rebels have laid down arms and 59 people received medical treatment, the ministry said.

SANA carried photos showing dozens of people, mostly women and children, walking past soldiers and boarding buses.

State television also broadcast footage it said showed residents crossing from the east to the west. 

SANA added that "armed men from eastern areas of Aleppo" had turned themselves in to army soldiers in Salaheddin district, without giving figures or showing pictures of the incident.

The Syrian government also reported that civilians were returning to the northern area of Bani Zeid, a day after Syrian government forces took control.

Also on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human rights, a UK-based activist group, reported government air strikes on two rebel-held areas on the outskirts of Aleppo.

The group also reported clashes in the same areas, saying the government was attempting to stop any rebel bid to bring in reinforcements to break the siege.

The Observatory said that "a number" of civilians had left the east of the city through a passage in the Salaheddin area.

It had no exact figures for the number of people who had evacuated the rebel-held east.

Syria's opposition has dismissed the humanitarian corridors initiative as a ploy and part of the government's bid to recapture all of Aleppo city.

"Be clear - these 'corridors' are not for getting aid in, but driving people out," Basma Kodmani, a member of the opposition High Negotiations Commission, said on Friday.

"The brutal message to our people is: leave or starve." 

Analyst Karim Bitar from the French think-tank IRIS, also said residents of the east faced "a terrible existential dilemma... between risking starvation or risking to die while fleeing."

Aleppo has been roughly divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since mid-2012, and the frontline runs through several city districts, including Salaheddin.

The rebel-held side of the city has been effectively under government siege since 7 July, when Syrian government forces advanced to within firing range of the only remaining supply route to opposition-held areas.

The encirclement has led to food shortages and spiralling prices in the east, with fears of a humanitarian crisis for the estimated 250,000 still living there.