(Zaman Al Wasl)- About 3400 rebels and their families are still awaiting the Turkish army's permission to enter the northern countryside of Aleppo after being held at Abu al-Zendan crossing, local activists said Tuesday.
The first batch of rebels departed from the city of Rastan in northern Homs region, last major besieged opposition enclave in Syria on Monday, with 25000 more expected to follow, responding to months of pressure by a Russian-backed regime offensive, the army, Reuters said.
A woman died of heart attack at the gate of al-Bab town as activists blamed the Turkish-backed Euphrates Shield forces for delaying the entry of the evacuees.
Opposition fighters agreed with regime forces and their allies to a cease-fire deal last week for parts of Syria’s central provinces of Hama and Homs, including the rebel towns of Talbiseh, Rastan, and Houleh.
Rebels representing several major Free Syrian Army factions capitulated to a Russian-imposed deal after marathon talks with Russian generals on May 2 in Dar al-Kabira town in the northern Homs countryside.
Russia exerted pressure by pounding the main towns of the enclave, where over 300,000 inhabitants live, in an escalation that killed and wounded dozens, rebels and residents said.
Fears that Russia and its Syrian ally would unleash an even tougher push, on the scale that ended rebel control of Aleppo in 2016 and Eastern Ghouta last month, prompted the capitulation to spare civilian lives, residents and civilian negotiators said.
Zaman Al Wasl
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.