1st LD: Wounded Nusra Front militants start evacuating southern Damascus area

The wounded militants of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front started evacuating from southern Damascus area toward the northwestern province of Idlib on Sunday, a military source told Xinhua.

Around 50 militants with the Nusra Front as well as other people of their families are bracing to leave the Yarmouk Camp in southern Damascus toward Idlib province in northwestern Syria, as part of a deal concluded last month between the rebels and the government for the evacuation of rebels from four besieged towns in southern and northern Syria.

The deal then saw the evacuation of rebels and their families from the rebel-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani, as well as Shiite people from the pro-government towns of Kafraya and Foa in Idlib countryside.

Evacuation of the Nusra militants from the Yarmouk Camp, which was previously home to Palestinian refugees in Syria, was also part of the deal, with those fighters leaving toward Idlib on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said ambulances with the Syrian Red Crescent arrived to the Yarmouk area to help in evacuating the rebels. Endit