Third convoy from east Aleppo reaches safe areas

ALEPPO, Syria (AA) – The third convoy of civilians from eastern Aleppo has reached an opposition-controlled area, an Anadolu Agency reporter at the scene witnessed on Friday.

At least 7,500 civilians have so far left eastern Aleppo for safe areas in Idlib, according to Syrian opposition group officials.

Turkey’s efforts have continued for the people of Aleppo during the evacuation process. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday said two convoys of buses carrying civilians reached areas under control of the opposition in western Aleppo.

According to an agreement between the Bashar al-Assad regime and Syrian opposition groups, civilians evacuated from eastern Aleppo will continue to head towards Idlib, which is located near the border with Turkey.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which erupted as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, more than a quarter of a million people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced across the war-battered country, according to the UN.

The Syrian Center for Policy Research, however, put the death toll from the six-year conflict at more than 470,000 people.