Fighters begin leaving last rebel pocket of Syria’s Ghouta
DAMASCUS: Syria's regime drew closer to taking full control of Eastern Ghouta on Monday as state media reported that fighters began evacuating from the last rebel-held pocket of the former opposition stronghold near Damascus.
A Russian-brokered deal had been reported yesterday for fighters with Jaish al-islam, the largest rebel group still in Ghouta, to leave the enclave's main town of Douma. But the rebels have not yet confirmed the agreement, amid reports of divisions in the group as hardline fighters refuse to abandon their posts.
The retaking of Eastern Ghouta would mark a major milestone in President Bashar al-assad's efforts to regain control of territory seized by rebel factions during Syria's seven-year civil war.
Assad's forces have retaken 95 per cent of Eastern Ghouta since launching a blistering air and ground assault on the besieged enclave on February 18, killing 1,600 civilians and displacing tens of thousands more.
State media today said Jaish al-islam fighters and their families had started leaving Douma, in preparation for them heading to a rebel-held town in northern Syria.
"A group of buses carrying a number of Jaish al-islam terrorists and their families leave Douma in preparation of them being transported to Jarabulus," state news agency SANA said, using the government's term for all rebel fighters.
State television said six buses had left Douma, the only opposition holdout six weeks after the start of the offensive.
The rebels have been negotiating with Russia, a key ally of Assad, for days on an agreement to evacuate Douma.
Late on Sunday, Russian news agency Interfax quoted General Yuri Yevtushenko saying a "preliminary deal" had been reached to evacuate Jaish al-islam fighters from Eastern Ghouta. ADEN: An air strike near the Yemeni port of Hodeida on Monday killed 16 people in a building where Huthi rebels were gathering, security sources said. There were conflicting reports on the number of rebels versus civilians killed in the strike which was believed to have been carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.
The coalition said it was investigating the reports and could not immediately comment. The strike occurred in the district of Al-hali in Hodeida province, which is controlled by the Iran-backed insurgents. The security sources said a second air strike targeted the house of a Huthi commander in the same area, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
The rebels' Al-masirah news outlet also reported two air strikes in Al-hali district, saying they targeted a camp for displaced people and that most of the victims were women and children.