• Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta arrive in the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from Eastern Ghouta continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
    Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta arrive in the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from Eastern Ghouta continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
  • Syrian civilians and rebel fighters arrive in the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from Eastern Ghouta continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Omar Haj Kadour / AFP
    Syrian civilians and rebel fighters arrive in the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from Eastern Ghouta continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Omar Haj Kadour / AFP
  • A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta waits in a government-held area prior to entering the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from the opposition enclave continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
    A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta waits in a government-held area prior to entering the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from the opposition enclave continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
  • Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta arrive in the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from Eastern Ghouta continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
    Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta arrive in the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from Eastern Ghouta continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
  • A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta waits in a government-held area prior to entering the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from the opposition enclave continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
    A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta waits in a government-held area prior to entering the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018, as evacuations from the opposition enclave continued following a deal that was announced earlier in the week. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
  • An injured man is evacuated from Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as rebels and civilians leave the opposition enclave on March 26, 2018. Mohammed Eyad / AFP
    An injured man is evacuated from Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as rebels and civilians leave the opposition enclave on March 26, 2018. Mohammed Eyad / AFP
  • A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters drives past destroyed buildings in Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as they are evacuated from the opposition enclave to the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 25, 2018. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
    A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters drives past destroyed buildings in Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as they are evacuated from the opposition enclave to the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 25, 2018. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
  • A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters drives in Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as they are evacuated from the opposition enclave to the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
    A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters drives in Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as they are evacuated from the opposition enclave to the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 26, 2018. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
  • A photo taken from a bus in a convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters shows smoke rising from destroyed buildings in Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as they are evacuated from the opposition enclave to the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 25, 2018. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
    A photo taken from a bus in a convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters shows smoke rising from destroyed buildings in Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as they are evacuated from the opposition enclave to the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 25, 2018. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
  • A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters drives past destroyed buildings in Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as they are evacuated from the opposition enclave to the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 25, 2018. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP
    A convoy transporting Syrian civilians and rebel fighters drives past destroyed buildings in Arbin in Eastern Ghouta as they are evacuated from the opposition enclave to the village of Qalaat al-Madiq, some 45 kilometres northwest of the central city of Hama, on March 25, 2018. Abdulmonam Eassa / AFP

Biggest convoy yet leaves rebel pocket of Syria's Ghouta, state media says

More than 6,000 people left a part of the enclave controlled by Faylaq Al Rahman

Agence France Presse

March 27, 2018

  • English
  • Arabic

The largest convoy yet of Syrian rebel fighters and civilians began leaving a beseiged pocket of Eastern Ghouta overnight, state media said on Tuesday.

One hundred buses carrying a total of 6,749 people — about  a quarter of them fighters — left a part of the enclave controlled by the Faylaq Al Rahman rebel faction, the Sana state news agency said.

The departure was part of a deal reached last week between the group and Russia, which is helping its Syrian ally negotiate such deals to clear the last rebels out of Ghouta.

Russian-backed Syrian troops and allied militia have waged an offensive since February 18 in which they have recaptured more than 90 per cent of Ghouta, a one-time rebel bastion on the edge of Damascus.

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Read more

Fresh rebel withdrawals from Syria's shrinking Ghouta

Ghouta residents relieved to arrive in Idlib after weeks of terror

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Moscow has negotiated two evacuation deals so far for Ghouta.

One, implemented last week, involved hardline rebels from Ahrar Al Sham leaving the town of Harasta in the west of the enclave.

The agreement with Faylaq Al Rahman was announced on Friday and its implementation started the following morning.

Nearly 1,000 people — including rebels, their relatives and other civilians — were moved out on Saturday, followed by 5,435 people on Sunday.

President Bashar Al Assad has used such agreements to recover territory lost since the uprising against him began seven years ago this month.

A Syrian woman looks out of the window of a bus as Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta arrive in a government-held area at the entrance of Harasta on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, on March 26, 2018. Louai Beshara / AFP
A Syrian woman looks out of the window of a bus as Syrian civilians and rebel fighters evacuated from Eastern Ghouta arrive in a government-held area at the entrance of Harasta on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, on March 26, 2018. Louai Beshara / AFP
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