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Militants Surrender, Civilians to Evacuate Syria’s Daraya under Deal

Militants Surrender, Civilians to Evacuate Syria’s Daraya under Deal
folder_openSyria access_time7 years ago
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Ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles entered Syria's besieged town of Daraya as thousands of militants surrendered and civilians prepared to evacuate Friday ahead of its takeover by government forces.

Militants Surrender, Civilians to Evacuate Syria’s Daraya under Deal

It was unclear exactly when residents and militants would start leaving the devastated town near the capital Damascus that has been under militant control since 2012.

An estimated 8,000 people remain in the town.

Daraya is located just 15 minutes' drive from Damascus and is even closer to the government's Mazzeh air base.

On Thursday, Syrian state news agency SANA announced a deal had been struck for the evacuation of civilians and the surrender of militants in the town.

The agreement is seen as a major defeat for the so-called opposition and had provoked anger among its supporters.

"Seven hundred armed men with their personal weapons will leave Daraya to head to the city of Idlib, while thousands of men and women with their families will be taken to reception centers," SANA said.

The militants would have to surrender other armaments to the army.

The militants who control the town belong to two Takfiri groups: "Ajnad al-Sham" and the "Martyrs of Islam".

A Syrian source on the ground said Thursday that the evacuation could take four days to complete.

"The civilians will go to regions under government control around Damascus," a militant official said adding that the militants will go to Idlib or sort out their situation with the Syrian government.

Most of Idlib province, in northwest Syria, is held by the powerful "Army of Conquest" militant alliance.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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