Syrian rebels leave last stronghold

2,500 people to leave Al Waer district of Homs city, long besieged by government forces

Syrian rebels started leaving the last opposition-held district of Homs city yesterday in the final phase of an evacuation deal that will see President Bashar Al Assad’s government take back the area in the seventh year of the country’s war.

At least one bus left Al Waer carrying fighters and their families, and dozens more were expected to follow to bring some 2,500 people out of the district long besieged by government forces and their allies.

The evacuation of Al Waer is one of the largest of its kind.

It follows a number of similar deals in recent months that have brought many parts of western Syria, long held by the opposition and besieged by Turkey has stepped up training of the Free Syrian Army, which has fought alongside Turkish forces against the Daesh group and USbacked Kurdish rebels, official media said yesterday.

Turkey has vowed to battle Kurdish militants in Syria and Iraq if pushed. Anadolu news agency reported that Turkish special forces are training larger Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups in using weapons including mortars, rocket launchers and machine guns, in terrain similar to where the fighters operate.

The agency quoted an unidentified military official saying, “It’s no longer the old FSA in the field but a new FSA being born. These FSA members in training will show their difference in possible future operations.” It said the training was stepped up after Turkey declared in March an end to the first phase of its military operation with FSA against Daesh and Kurdish militants in northern Syria. government and allied forces, back under Al Assad’s control.

The deal, backed by Syria’s ally Russia, began to be implemented in March. Thousands of people have left in several stages. By the time it is completed, up to 20,000 people will have left the district, the Britishbased Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Many of the rebels are to head for insurgent-held Idlib province in Syria’s northwest and to the town of Jarablus along the country’s northern border with Turkey, pro-Damascus media reported. Some will stay in Al Waer and hand over their weapons as Syria’s military and its allies move in.

Russian military police would help with the transition.