Families of Daesh terrorists to leave S. Damascus in UN deal
by
BEIRUTDec 24, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by
Dec 24, 2015 12:00 am
Hundreds of families of Daesh militants and some injured fighters are expected to leave rebel-held areas of southern Damascus under a UN-brokered deal, a monitoring group said on Thursday.
Safe passage would be given from the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk on the outskirts of Damascus and neighbouring Hajar al Aswad, said Rami Abdulraham, head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The families and some fighters will be taken to Raqqa in northern Syria, the stronghold of Deash group, and other Daesh-controlled areas over several months, eventually ending the group's presence near the capital.
Deash has had a significant foothold in Hajar al Aswad, just a few kilometres from Bashar al Assad's seat of power.
Syrian minister for national reconciliation Ali Haidar told Reuters efforts were under way to get militants out of the Yarmouk camp but gave no details.
Several local ceasefires and safe-passage agreements have been concluded elsewhere in Syria recently. One, brokered with support from Iran and Turkey, halted fighting in the town of Zabadani on the Lebanese border, and in two villages in the northwest.
A deal was also reached in the last rebel-held district of the Syrian city of Homs that allowed rebels and their families to leave the besieged area. The U.N. said the agreement could help pave the way for a nationwide truce.
About the author
Research Associate at Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University
Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.