Terrorists begin evacuating Dara’a in Syria
Terrorists and their relatives began evacuating Syria’s southern city of Dara’a on Sunday under a deal to bring the cradle of the protests that sparked the country’s seven-year war back under government control.
The highly symbolic transfers came as government forces advanced in the neighboring province of Quneitra, with airstrikes pounding terrorists’ positions perilously close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, AFP reported.
After securing Damascus in May, President Bashar al-assad turned his attention to terrorists in the strategically vital south. Nearly three weeks of bombardment saw beleaguered terrorists agree with Russia earlier this month to hand over Dara’a Province, before reaching a similar deal for its capital this week.
In recent days, terrorists have handed over heavy-duty arms and other equipment to government forces who entered the city’s terrorist-held southern districts for the first time in years to plant the national flag.
On Sunday, terrorists and civilians who did not want to live under government control were granted safe passage to terrorist-held Idlib in Syria’s northwest. Hundreds of terrorists and some of their relatives, carrying suitcases packed with clothes, boarded around 15 buses in Dara’a city.
The vehicles, parked on a main thoroughfare connecting the city’s government-held north with its terrorist-held south, were searched by Russian forces before setting off just after midday for Idlib.
Syrian state television also said the transfers had begun, broadcasting images of white buses they said were carrying the terrorists, their blue curtains drawn, surrounded by military forces.
State news agency SANA said terrorists were surrendering more heavy and medium weaponry in Dara’a on Sunday. That would pave the way for the entire city to come under government control in accordance with the handover deal.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said an estimated 1,400 people were to be evacuated on Sunday, including terrorists from the city and broader province.