Oct 24, 2016

Nearly 50 people fled battered eastern districts of Aleppo into the government-controlled west of the city on Monday, Syria's state news agency SANA reported.

The incident comes after a unilateral three-day ceasefire declared by Russia and government forces ended on Sunday without any evacuations by the United Nations.

"Forty-eight people from... the eastern districts were able to flee towards the western districts, where a Syrian Arab army unit welcomed and secured them," SANA said late on Monday.

It accused rebel groups in the east of using civilians there as "human shields".

An AFP photographer saw three buses full of civilians on the government side of the Bustan al-Qasr crossing.