Syrian rebels began to leave the last opposition-held district of Homs city on Saturday under an evacuation deal that will see President Bashar al-Assad's government take back the area, a Reuters witness, a monitor and state media said.
At least one bus carrying rebel fighters and their families left the al-Waer district earlier, and dozens more were expected to follow, bringing some 2,500 people out of the neighbourhood long besieged by government forces and their allies.The evacuation of al-Waer district is one of the largest of its kind, after a series of similar deals in recent months brought many areas of western Syria long held by the opposition and besieged by government and allied forces back under Assad's control.The al-Waer agreement began to be implemented in March. By the time it is completed, up to 20,000 people will have left the district, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group says.Many of the rebels are to head for insurgent-held Idlib province in Syria's northwest and to the town of Jarablus along the country's northern border with Turkey, pro-Damascus media reported.Some are to stay in al-Waer and hand over their weapons.
May 20, 2017 | 01:32 PM