\n As rebel fighters and civilians prepare to withdraw from Aleppo, here is a snapshot of events since forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad launched a major offensive to retake the city a month ago:\n<\/p>\n
\n - Blistering offensive -\n<\/p>\n
\n On November 15, Russian-backed regime forces launch an assault on eastern districts of Syria's second city after laying siege to them since July.\n<\/p>\n
\n The area, which has been in rebel hands since 2012, suffers its heaviest bombardment for two years from barrel bombs, artillery shells and rockets.\n<\/p>\n
\n On November 26 the government announces that Masaken Hanano -- the largest rebel zone -- has been recaptured. It was the first to fall to the rebels when they cut the city in two.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Hospitals become targets -\n<\/p>\n
\n On November 21, the World Health Organization (WHO) declares that there is no longer a working hospital in eastern Aleppo. They have been attacked repeatedly by aircraft and ground forces.\n<\/p>\n
\n UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien calls the situation \"deeply alarming and chilling.\" Food stocks are almost exhausted and the city could become a huge cemetery, he adds.\n<\/p>\n
\n As regime forces advance, AFP correspondents report that bodies of men, women and children are being left lying in the streets.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Aleppo's Old City falls -\n<\/p>\n
\n On December 6, eight more districts in eastern Aleppo, including the strategic Shaar neighbourhood, fall into regime hands following an assault by army troops and fighters from Syria, Iran and Lebanon.\n<\/p>\n
\n A day later, rebels retreat from the historic Old City.\n<\/p>\n
\n - 'Crimes against humanity' -\n<\/p>\n
\n On December 5, Russia and China veto a UN Security Council resolution calling for a seven-day ceasefire in Aleppo, prompting western accusations of \"obstruction\".\n<\/p>\n
\n It is Russia's sixth veto of a Syrian-related resolution, and China's fifth.\n<\/p>\n
\n French ambassador Francois Delattre declares that Moscow has \"decided to take Aleppo regardless of the human cost.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n On December 10, US Secretary of State John Kerry charges that Assad's regime has committed \"crimes against humanity and war crimes.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n A meeting in Paris of countries opposed to the offensive fails to agree on a concrete response however.\n<\/p>\n
\n - 'Final phase' -\n<\/p>\n
\n On December 12, the Syrian army recaptures the Sheikh Saeed district and a military spokesman says the operation is in its \"final phase\".\n<\/p>\n
\n The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says rebel resistance has collapsed and that \"the battle of Aleppo has reached its end.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n More than 10,000 civilians flee rebel-held districts, bringing to around 130,000 the total number of displaced people since November 15.\n<\/p>\n
\n UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voices concern over atrocities that have been committed against \"a large number of civilians, including women and children.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n On December 13 the guns fall silent after Russia and Turkey broker an agreement for a ceasefire and the evacuation of thousands of civilians and fighters, but heavy fighting resumes a day later.\n<\/p>\n
\n A new deal is agreed and on Thursday preparations were underway, with Syrian state television reporting that 4,000 rebels and their families were to be evacuated from the last opposition-held districts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As rebel fighters and civilians prepare to withdraw from Aleppo, here is a snapshot of events since forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad launched a major offensive to retake the city a month ago: - Blistering offensive - On November 15, Russian-backed regime forces launch an assault on eastern districts of Syria's second city after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[553],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-31135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-feed"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n