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Syrian rebels, families begin leaving Homs district in deal with government

Syrian rebels, families begin leaving Homs district in deal with government
In this March 1, 2016, file photo, a Russian soldier keeps watch as local residents receive humanitarian aid in the Syrian village of Ghunaymiyah, about 15 kilometers from the Turkish border. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)
Updated 19 March 2017

Syrian rebels, families begin leaving Homs district in deal with government

Syrian rebels, families begin leaving Homs district in deal with government

BEIRUT, Lebanon: Opposition fighters and their families began leaving their last bastion in the Syrian city of Homs on Saturday, state media and a Reuters witness said, under an evacuation deal with the government that is expected to be the largest of its kind.
The first two buses carrying rebels and their families left Al-Waer district in the morning, heading for other rebel-held areas in northern Syria. Homs governor Talal Barazi told Reuters 400 to 500 fighters would evacuate on Saturday, along with their family members.
Under the agreement, more than 12,000 people would leave in batches over the coming weeks, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitoring group.Â