Thousands of civilians from the war-torn areas of Aleppo, Syria as the government had already started holding off on skirmishes to allow people to evacuate in response to calls from all fronts for a ceasefire.
According to BBC, this was confirmed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said that they have received reports from the ground that the fighting has subsided with an estimated 8000 civilians already making their way to safer ground.
"I can tell you that today, combat operations by the Syrian army have been halted in eastern Aleppo because there is a large operation under way to evacuate civilians, " says Lavrov during the meeting of European foreign ministers.
Media correspondents also reported that they notice gunfire and explosions have been greatly reduced, save for some echoing blasts that indicate that the fighting has not completely ceased. Syrian regime troops have already taken back around 75% of east Aleppo, with just a few remaining pockets of resistance still service as rebel strongholds.
The United Nations and the United States have seen this as a breakthrough in efforts for humanitarian aid to civilians who are caught in the crossfire. The urgency to call for a truce was brought about by calls for aid as food and medical supplies have run out during the intense exchange of fire from both camps.
Thousands more are expected to make the exodus out of the battlezones over the next few days. Both the government and rebel forces, however, would only cease the fighting is both sides agree for a mutual ceasefire. Both are still wary if the pause may be one of two things, either it is well-meant or simply just a tactic to regroup forces.
Millions of civilians were displaced by the Syrian war and sought refuge in neighboring territories. The Syrian war has been going on for the past five years and the United Nations has already expressed fears that the war could result to more deaths reminiscent of the second World War- even worse.
Aleppo is one of the two largest cities in Syria and is the financial and industrial center of the country. It became the capital of the kingdom of Yamkhad back in the 18th century BC, after which it became a key trading center for merchants traveling in the Mediterranean and the East.
It was later conquered by Arab Muslims who constructed the Great Mosque. Through the years it has become the trading and business activity hub due to its strategic location in Syria.
