Syrian rebels accepted a deal Wednesday to quit their enclave near Homs city, a rebel official said, as the military crushes the last two besieged insurgent pockets in the country.
The agreement, which Russia brokered, would restore state rule, with fighters handing over their heavy weapons, the official in Homs province said.
Fighters and civilians who refuse to settle with the state will be taken to rebel territory in the north near the Turkish border in an evacuation expected to start Saturday, he added.
There was no immediate comment from Damascus or Moscow. State news agency SANA had said late Tuesday that a preliminary deal was reached with similar terms.
The enclave, the most populous zone still under siege in Syria, had seen heavy fighting and bombing in recent days. It includes the towns of Houleh, Rastan, and Talbiseh and villages around them, on a main highway between the cities of Homs and Hama.
On Tuesday, the Forth Corps, key rebel group in northern Homs, refused Russia's surrender deal to give up their territory and to head Idlib.
The Russian offer is a similar to the Ghouta and Qalamoun's deals. Rebels must lay down their weapons and decide whether joining regime army or heading the Turkish-held area near the border.
Syrian rebels killed at least 150 militants loyal to Bashar al-Assad in Homs and Hama, since the offensive began two weeks ago
The Forth Corps commander urged Turkey to take a concrete step to halt the offensive since the northern Homs is a part of the de-escalation zone agreement.
Local activists reported that regime had closed Bab al-Kabira crossing, the main gate into northern Homs.
Syrian rebels hold large swathes of both northwest and southwest Syria. An alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias backed by the United States holds large parts of northern and eastern Syria after an offensive against Daesh (ISIS) last year.
Rebels in the second pocket, south of the capital, have also effectively agreed to a surrender deal though they have yet to evacuate.
Army offensives and such local agreements have helped Damascus regain control of swathes of the country, with support from Russia and Iran.
Last week, a Syrian regime minister said the enclave north of Homs city was the army's next target afterretaking all insurgent territory around the capital. (With Agencies)
Zaman Al Wasl
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