DAMASCUS, Sept 5 (NNN-SANA) – Buses were prepared yesterday, to transport rebels from Syria’s southern province of Daraa, to rebel-held areas in northern Syria.
The evacuation is planned for the rebels, who refused to reconcile with the Syrian authorities in Daraa. As such, roadblocks were removed to prepare for the evacuation from several areas in Daraa.
Some rebel groups retracted their previous pledges, to hand over their weapons in Daraa.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, some rebels rejected to be transferred to rebel-held areas in northern Syria, after previous batches of evacuated rebels were mistreated in such opposition-held areas. Instead, they wanted to be transferred to Turkey and Jordan.
Several previous batches of rebels were evacuated to northern Syria, as part of a Russia-mediated deal, to defuse months’ long tension in Daraa, between the Syrian army and local rebel groups.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), recently placed the number of internally displaced people in Daraa province, as a result of the recent tension, at 38,600, including almost 15,000 women and over 20,400 children.
The Syrian army entered Daraa in 2018, after the rebels there were dislodged to the rebel-held areas in the north-western province of Idlib. However, tension has continued in Daraa with attacks taking place occasionally.
