Syrian rebels and their families began evacuating from a district of Damascus for the first time on Monday, bringing the government closer to recapturing all of the capital. / AFP PHOTO / SANA / HO / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / SANA” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
A Syrian official says that a northeastern neighborhood of the capital Damascus is now completely under government control after carrying out the second and last phase of a truce agreement in the area.
Hundreds of rebels and their families left Qaboun on Sunday and Monday, headed toward rebel-held areas, bringing all parts of the capital under the control of President Bashar Assad’s forces for the first time since 2012.
The evacuations came a day after government forces and their allies captured most of the area from insurgents who had maintained a presence in the northeastern neighborhood for four years.
State-run news agency SANA quoted Damascus governor Beshr al-Sabban saying Monday that military units were combing the neighborhood to dismantle explosives and mines.
Source: Associated Press
