The Latest: Putin says Russia, Turkey seek new Syria talks

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, civilians gather near the Red Cross vehicles for evacuation from eastern Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 16, 2016. The Syrian government suspended evacuations from eastern Aleppo just hours after they resumed on Friday, saying that rebels had opened fire on a convoy of evacuees at a crossing point with the enclave, state TV reported. (SANA via AP) (The Associated Press)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, civilians gather for evacuation from eastern Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 16, 2016. The Syrian government suspended evacuations from eastern Aleppo just hours after they resumed on Friday, saying that rebels had opened fire on a convoy of evacuees at a crossing point with the enclave, state TV reported. (SANA via AP) (The Associated Press)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, green government buses carry residents evacuating from eastern Aleppo, Syria, Friday, Dec. 16, 2016. The Syrian government suspended evacuations from eastern Aleppo just hours after they resumed on Friday, saying that rebels had opened fire on a convoy of evacuees at a crossing point with the enclave, state TV reported. (SANA via AP) (The Associated Press)

The Latest on the conflict in Syria where thousands more civilians and rebels are expected to leave the eastern part of the city of Aleppo under a key cease-fire deal (all times local):

8:35 a.m.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he and his Turkish counterpart are working to launch a new round of peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition — negotiations that would take place in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

Putin, who spoke on a visit to Japan on Friday, says that Ankara had helped broker the rebel exit from Aleppo that is currently underway. He says he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are also working for an overall truce in Syria.

The Russian leader says that once the Syrian army secures control of all of Aleppo, civilians will be able to return to their homes.

It wasn't immediately clear if western-backed Syrian opposition would accept such a location for peace talks with President Bashar Assad's government.

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9:20 a.m.

Thousands more are expected to leave eastern Aleppo in the coming hours under a cease-fire deal that effectively surrendered the last rebel-held part of the city to Syrian government control. There are conflicting numbers on how many have been evacuated from Aleppo so far as part of a Turkey- and Russia-brokered cease-fire deal to transfer all still in the rebel enclave to rebel-held areas in the countryside.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says about 4,000 civilians were taken out on Thursday. Syrian state news agency says 2,300 opposition fighters and their families left Aleppo the previous night.

Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, says that more than 6,462 people, including more than 3,000 rebels and 301 wounded, have been taken out.