‘We were too weak’

More than 2000 civilians and rebels were evacuated from the Damascus suburb of Moadamiyeh yesterday, following negotiations with the Syrian Government to end a siege that had closed residents off from the outside world for three years.

“We were too weak to say no to Assad. The siege killed us as much as he did,” Dani Qappani said from one of the 38 buses heading from Moadamiyeh to the northern Syria province of Idlib, where the 2100 people will begin their new life. Since 2013, the regime has drastically restricted supplies of food and medicine to Moadamiyeh.

Starving neighbourhoods into surrender is a long-standing tactic of the Government as it tries to break the morale of the opposition. The strategy forced rebels in neighbouring Daraya to surrender last month. Water and electricity will be restored to Moadamiyeh on Monday when the Government resumes control of the town.

“I had to leave to save my children,” said Leila, a wife of a rebel fighter. We didn’t really have a choice. It was leave or surrender and I chose leave for my sons, but I don’t know what will happen now.”

A ceasefire is due to begin today in Aleppo, where the regime hopes that rebels will also surrender to prevent the destruction of the eastern half of the city, hit by sustained airstrikes.

— Telegraph Group Ltd