1st LD: First batch of 5,000 Syrians evacuating besieged Daraya

The first batch of Syrians started on Friday to leave the besieged town of Daraya under the new deal, which allows evacuation of rebel fighters and civilians.

Military vehicles were waiting to escort the buses filled with residents out of the city, whose landscape is similar to those in the movies depicting the Armageddon, or the doom's day.

Ambulances as well as convoys from the Syrian Red Crescent are waiting at a government-held area of the town to evacuate 4,000 civilians and some 700 rebels.

Preparations started Friday morning for the evacuation, which will be in batches and expected to last four days, sources said.

The evacuation is part of a deal reached on Thursday between the armed rebels and the government army, which allows over 4,000 civilians to be evacuated to displacement shelters in government-controlled areas.

Meanwhile, 700 rebels will hand over their heavy and medium weapons, and move to the northwestern province of Idlib, a stronghold for the rebels' Jaish al-Fateh, or the Army of Conquest, state news agency SANA reported.

The rebels who don't want to evacuate can stay inside the town, after settling their criminal records with the government, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor group said.

Civilians who want to stay will be provided with medical aid, the Observatory said.

Calm prevails in the town after the deal was concluded, source familiar with the situation said.

Daraya has been out of the government control since 2012, but was later put under a tight siege by the Syrian government forces. Endit