Fierce fighting and shelling has shaken Aleppo as sources said a deal to evacuate civilians and fighters from rebel-held districts was on hold. An AFP correspondent in a rebel-held area of east Aleppo saw several wounded civilians nearby as the area came under heavy tank fire.  "This morning regime forces fired at least 14 shells onto the area held by the rebels for the first time since Tuesday," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Mortar fire was also heard on the front line between rebel- and regime-held areas," he said.  Entire families had gathered in the early hours, in the hope of leaving Aleppo after an agreement announced the night before for rebels to withdraw from the city. But the first expected departures around 5:00 am (2:00pm AEDT) were delayed and, a few hours later, fierce fighting again began to shake the city.  State television said rebel rocket fire on government-controlled areas had also resumed, with at least seven people reported dead.  Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen marching through the streets of east Aleppo. (AFP)  A Syrian pro-government fighter walks past damaged buildings in the Bab al-Nasr district of Aleppo's Old City on December 9, 2016. (AFP)  Rebels said the government and its ally Iran were blocking the deal's implementation. The source close to the regime said the government was objecting to the number of people that would be evacuated and demanding their names.  The deal was reached between Turkey, a backer of armed opposition groups, and Russia, the key ally of Mr al-Assad.  A Turkish official said fighters would be sent to rebel-run Idlib province, to the west of Aleppo. Russia's ambassador to the UN said civilians would be given the choice to stay in Aleppo or leave.  "We are between two choices that are so difficult. Staying under the regime control is maybe worse than hell. But displacement is hell itself," Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, a teacher living in eastern Aleppo, said.  Syrian civilians walk towards a checkpoint manned by pro-government forces, at the al-Hawoz street roundabout, after leaving Aleppo's eastern neighbourhoods on December 10, 2016. (AFP)  Earlier, outside the final streets under rebel control, the Syrian government organised green buses, some adorned with photos of Mr al-Assad, to evacuate the rebels and civilians.  The green buses have become symbols of displacement in Syria, despised by opposition supporters and hailed in pro-government circles as they are brought in when rebels have agreed to surrender.  Opposition sources blamed the delayed evacuation on the Syrian government.  A general view taken from the government-held side of Aleppo shows smoke billowing from the southern suburbs during fighting between regime forces and rebel fighters on December 3, 2016. (AFP)  Syrian displaced families gather at a makeshift camp on November 27, 2016 in the government-held district of Jibreen in Aleppo. (AFP)  However, the deal appeared to be delayed over squabbles between Damascus and Moscow, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group.  Fears of looting, compounded by reports that pro-government militias have stolen from abandoned homes, have led some people to burn their cars and personal effects, saying that if they cannot keep their property they do not want it to fall into their opponents' hands.  Activists and medical workers have expressed fears of reprisals by the Syrian government forces and their allies, including foreign militias. The government has a grim history of abuses towards those who expressed dissent, even non-violently.  A Syrian government source said the Syrian army would likely declare the city to be under its control on today or tomorrow, a major victory for the government of Mr al-Assad. Russia already indicated the government has effectively reasserted itself.  Speaking to Russian state media, Mr al-Assad accused the West of trying to prevent Moscow and Damascus from defeating "terrorists," a term he often employs against the rebels.  © Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2016
Rebel resistance in the Syrian city of Aleppo ended on Tuesday after years of fighting and months of bitter siege and bombardment that culminated in a bloody retreat, as insurgents agreed to withdraw in a ceasefire.