Syrian Crisis: Evacuations Begin in 4 Blockaded Towns

Local Editor

Under a deal reached between the Damascus government and militant groups last month, civilians and militants begin leaving four Syrian towns in the provinces of Idlib and Damascus outskirts.

The process to evacuate Foua and Kefraya in Idlib as well as Zabadani and Madaya in the outskirts of Damascus was due to start on Wednesday, but it was postponed amid reports of bickering among militant groups.

Foua and Kefraya had been under a militant siege.

In late March, the Syrian government and militant groups reached a deal that envisaged the transfer of 16,000 people from Foua and Kefraya in exchange for the evacuation of militants and their families from the latter two.

Residents of Foua and Kefraya were agreed to be transferred to the outskirts of Aleppo City, the coastal province of Latakia or Damascus, while the gunmen and their families would leave for Idlib City.

On Friday morning, the al-Mayadeen television channel reported that buses carrying civilians from Foua and Kefraya had already reached the outskirts of Aleppo.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed the beginning of the evacuation.

More than 30,000 people are expected to be evacuated under the deal, which began on Wednesday with an exchange of prisoners between militants and government forces.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent [SARC] is supervising the implementation of the deal, which is described as the biggest population swap of its kind.

The agreement also includes a ceasefire covering areas south of Damascus as well as aid deliveries.

Last December, several thousand civilians were allowed to leave Foua and Kefraya under a separate deal between the armed groups and Damascus, which also enabled the evacuation of a militant-occupied enclave in eastern Aleppo.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team