Syria suspends Aleppo evacuations, blaming rebels

The Syrian government has suspended the evacuation of civilians and fighters from eastern Aleppo, accusing rebels of breaking terms of the deal, security source said.

The reason for the suspension is unclear. One unconfirmed report said blasts were heard in the area where evacuees were boarding buses.

A regime source close to the negotiations said the deal had been suspended because rebels were "leaving Aleppo with hostages."

The operation to evacuate remaining civilians and fighters from east Aleppo began on Thursday afternoon and continued through the night.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said around 8,500 people had left the city, going to rebel-held territory in the west of the province.

The army began an operation to recapture all of Aleppo in mid-November, and had overrun more than 90% of the former rebel bastion in the east of the city before the evacuation began.