Civilians and fighters in Syria began evacuating four towns besieged by rebels and government forces on Friday under a deal brokered by opposition backer Qatar and regime ally Iran, reported AFP, citing their correspondent and a local source.

 "The implementation of the deal started in the morning," a rebel source in Idlib told AFP. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the beginning of the evacuation.

A Madaya resident said at around 6:00 a.m. local time, “We just left now, around 2,200 people in around 65 buses,” while an AFP correspondent said at least 80 buses arrived in the region from government-held Fuaa and Kafraya in the Idlib province.

More than 30,000 people are expected to be evacuated under the deal, which began on Wednesday with an exchange of prisoners between rebels and government forces.

All 16,000 residents of Fuaa and Kafraya are expected to leave, heading to government-held Aleppo, the coastal province of Latakia or Damascus.

Civilian residents of Madaya and Zabadani will reportedly be allowed to remain if they choose.

 

(Source: AFP)