Last places besieged by rebels in Syria evacuated

In Syria, the last two places besieged by rebel forces were evacuated. Fua and Kafraja in Idlib province are "completely empty," said today the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights based in the United Kingdom. The information, which relies on a network of informants in Syria, is difficult to independently verify. Previously, about 6,900 civilians and pro-government fighters left the villages. The evacuation is part of an agreement between Russia as an ally of the Syrian government and Turkey as an insurgent supporter.

Release of 1,500 prisoners

Dozens of buses took two people Thursday in two places in northern Syria. An AFP journalist reported how the convoy of the rebel territory surrendered to government-controlled areas. The agreement provides for the release of prisoners from government prisons as an exchange for the safety of residents.

"When buses entered government areas, the government began to release the detainees," said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Observatory. Hajat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist alliance with the rebels, agreed to release 1,500 prisoners.

The majority of villages inhabited by Shiites, Fua and Kafraja, are the last two cities besieged by Syrians. The headquarters of the rebels and allied jihadist groups lasted three years

In 2017, a similar agreement had already been negotiated in the region. In return, two cities besieged by government forces were evacuated near Damascus. The refugee convoy of Fua and Kafraja was attacked at that time. 150 people died, including 72 children.