Official: Second round of evacuations from east Aleppo completed

Image of civilians wait to be evacuated from eastern Aleppo, Syria on 15 December 2016 [Mamun Ebu Ömer/Anadolu Agency]

Image of civilians trying to flee from Aleppo on 15 December 2016 [Mamun Ebu Ömer/Anadolu Agency]

Civilians, trying to flee from East Aleppo wait to be evacuated at Amiriyah District of Aleppo Syria on 15 December 2016 [Mamun Ebu Ömer/Anadolu Agency]

ALEPPO, SYRIA: Civilians, trying to flee from East Aleppo that had been under siege by the Assad regime wait to be evacuated at Amiriyah District of Aleppo Syria on 15 December 2016. [Mamun Ebu Ömer/Anadolu Agency]

ALEPPO, SYRIA: Civilians, trying to flee from East Aleppo that had been under siege by the Assad regime wait to be evacuated at Amiriyah District of Aleppo Syria on 15 December 2016. [Mamun Ebu Ömer/Anadolu Agency]

Image of civilians attempting to flee from Aleppo on 15 December 2016 [Mamun Ebu Ömer/Anadolu Agency]

A second round of evacuations from Syria’s eastern Aleppo was completed today, a Turkish official said, and Syrian government television said a third convoy was on its way, under an effort that could see 100,000 people evacuated.

The operation to evacuate thousands from the last opposition bastion in Aleppo began today, part of a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

The second convoy was made up of 1,198 people – 577 male, 320 women and 301 children – with 12 wounded among them, the official said.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said earlier today that a convoy of 20 buses, capable of carrying around 1,000 people, was being used for the evacuation, shuttling in and out.

Kaynak also said the number of people brought out of the city could reach 100,000.

Syrian government television reported that a third convoy was also under way, although no further details were immediately available.

Separately, a Syrian opposition activist says wounded children and their families had been brought to a hospital in the Turkish city of Gaziantep.

HATAY, TURKEY: Evacuated wounded civilians, fled from East Aleppo that had been under siege Assad regime forces, are being hospitalised at an hospital in Reyhanli District, located at Turkey’s Syria Border on 15 December 2016. [Burak Milli /Anadolu Agency]

HATAY, TURKEY: Evacuated wounded civilians, fled from East Aleppo that had been under siege Assad regime forces, are being hospitalised at an hospital in Reyhanli District, located at Turkey’s Syria Border on 15 December 2016. [Burak Milli /Anadolu Agency]

HATAY, TURKEY: Evacuated wounded civilians, fled from East Aleppo that had been under siege Assad regime forces, are being hospitalised at an hospital in Reyhanli District, located at Turkey’s Syria Border on 15 December 2016. [Burak Milli /Anadolu Agency]

HATAY, TURKEY: Evacuated wounded civilians, fled from East Aleppo that had been under siege Assad regime forces, are being hospitalised at an hospital in Reyhanli District, located at Turkey’s Syria Border on 15 December 2016. [Burak Milli /Anadolu Agency]

HATAY, TURKEY: Evacuated wounded civilians, fled from East Aleppo that had been under siege Assad regime forces, are being hospitalised at an hospital in Reyhanli District, located at Turkey’s Syria Border on 15 December 2016. [Burak Milli /Anadolu Agency]

HATAY, TURKEY: Evacuated wounded civilians, fled from East Aleppo that had been under siege Assad regime forces, are being hospitalised at an hospital in Reyhanli District, located at Turkey’s Syria Border on 15 December 2016. [Burak Milli /Anadolu Agency]

IDLIB, SYRIA: Evacuated civilians who fled from East Aleppo, which had been under siege by Assad regime forces, arrive at Sarmada town of Idlib, Syria on 15 December 2016 as part of a convoy, including buses and ambulances, departed from a crossing point between East and West Aleppo. [Bilal Baioush/Anadolu Agency]

IDLIB, SYRIA: Evacuated civilians who fled from East Aleppo, which had been under siege by Assad regime forces, arrive at Sarmada town of Idlib, Syria on 15 December 2016 as part of a convoy, including buses and ambulances, departed from a crossing point between East and West Aleppo. [Bilal Baioush/Anadolu Agency]

IDLIB, SYRIA: Evacuated civilians who fled from East Aleppo, which had been under siege by Assad regime forces, arrive at Sarmada town of Idlib, Syria on 15 December 2016 as part of a convoy, including buses and ambulances, departed from a crossing point between East and West Aleppo. [Bilal Baioush/Anadolu Agency]

IDLIB, SYRIA: Evacuated civilians who fled from East Aleppo, which had been under siege by Assad regime forces, arrive at Sarmada town of Idlib, Syria on 15 December 2016 as part of a convoy, including buses and ambulances, departed from a crossing point between East and West Aleppo. [Bilal Baioush/Anadolu Agency]

IDLIB, SYRIA: Evacuated civilians who fled from East Aleppo, which had been under siege by Assad regime forces, arrive at Sarmada town of Idlib, Syria on 15 December 2016 as part of a convoy, including buses and ambulances, departed from a crossing point between East and West Aleppo. [Bilal Baioush/Anadolu Agency]

Evacuated civilians who fled from East Aleppo, which had been under siege by Assad regime forces, arrive at Sarmada town of Idlib, Syria on 15 December 2016 [Bilal Baioush/Anadolu Agency]

IDLIB, SYRIA: Evacuated civilians who fled from East Aleppo, which had been under siege by Assad regime forces, arrive at Sarmada town of Idlib, Syria on 15 December 2016 as part of a convoy, including buses and ambulances, departed from a crossing point between East and West Aleppo. [Bilal Baioush/Anadolu Agency]

IDLIB, SYRIA: Evacuated civilians who fled from East Aleppo, which had been under siege by Assad regime forces, arrive at Sarmada town of Idlib, Syria on 15 December 2016 as part of a convoy, including buses and ambulances, departed from a crossing point between East and West Aleppo. [Bilal Baioush/Anadolu Agency]

IDLIB, SYRIA: Evacuated civilians who fled from East Aleppo, which had been under siege by Assad regime forces, arrive at Sarmada town of Idlib, Syria on 15 December 2016 as part of a convoy, including buses and ambulances, departed from a crossing point between East and West Aleppo. [Bilal Baioush/Anadolu Agency]