Despite difficult winter conditions in northern Syria, a stream of vehicles continued to flow out of the rebel enclave of eastern Aleppo on Thursday morning.<br /><br /> The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says more than 4,000 fighters were moved out overnight to opposition-held areas under an agreement it is overseeing with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.<br /><br /> It expects the operation to continue through until Friday. “The evacuation will continue for the entire day and night and most probably tomorrow (Friday),” said ICRC spokeswoman Karista Armstrong.<br /><br /> She said around 34,000 people had been bussed out in the week-long operation since the rebels agreed to surrender their last territories.<br /><br /> 1. Around 34,000 people have now been helped to leave Eastern #Aleppo, including over 4,000 fighters overnight.— ICRC Syria (@ICRC_sy) December 22, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> Earlier on Thursday, an opposition spokesman said thousands of rebels and fighters were still waiting to be evacuated – blaming difficulties including bad weather for complicating the final phase of the operation. <br /><br /> Despite more buses and ambulances being sent in earlier to evacuate civilians, the snow and the poor condition of some vehicles appeared to slow down the operation.<br /><br /> The last evacuees are believed to be fighters and their families.<br /><br /> “The numbers of civilians, their cars alongside and of course the weather are all making the evacuation slow,” said Munir al-Sayal, head of the political wing of the rebel group Ahrar al Sham. However he added that if the routine continued without hitches, the operation should be complete by Thursday night.<br /><br /> The exodus from the devastated areas of eastern Aleppo contrast with images from the government-controlled west of the city – where families were seen playing in the snow. Despite the onslaught of winter, everyday life has largely continued.<br />
