First snow covers war-torn Aleppo (DRONE VIDEO)

22 Dec, 2016 03:54

The first snow has settled on the smithereens of an Aleppo district as the last remaining militants depart the city they had inhabited for years.

The drone footage captured on Wednesday shows piles of rubble and partially destroyed houses covered with snow in the heavily-damaged Aleppo district of Seif Al-Dawla.

The district reportedly remains one of the last areas of the city to be partially controlled by militants. Syrian Arab Republic flags, however, can still be seen flying on a couple of ruined buildings.

Militants and civilians reportedly gathered to be evacuated.

The evacuation is ongoing despite harsh weather conditions. Another video shows vehicles heading to areas remaining under militant control and soldiers warming themselves next to open fires.

Across the city, in its western part, the first Christmas celebrations since fighting broke out in the city in 2012 began. In an unfortunate incident on Tuesday, a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony was disrupted by an explosion which luckily did not result in casualties.

READ MORE: Explosion disrupts Christmas celebrations in Aleppo