More civilians flee Syria's rebel-held Eastern Ghouta

DAMASCUS, March 15 (Xinhua) -- More civilians were evacuated from the rebel-held areas in Eastern Ghouta outside the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday, state news agency SANA reported.

The civilians, whose number was not given, left Hamouriyeh, a key stronghold of the Failaq al-Rahman rebels who are locked in fierce battles with the Syrian army.

The state TV aired footage of the evacuees chanting support for the Syrian army when reaching the government-controlled area.

It's the latest in a series of recent civilian evacuation operations in the rebel-held areas in east of Damascus.

On Wednesday, around 90 civilians were evacuated from Eastern Ghouta, a day after 146 others left that area.

The latest evacuation came amid the entry of a new aid convoy into Eastern Ghouta.

Earlier in the day, 25 truckloads of aid started to move to the rebel-held district of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The aid convoy was sent in cooperation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), and the United Nations.

It's the third aid convoy to enter Douma since the military operations in Eastern Ghouta started late last month.

Last Friday, 13 truckloads of aid entered Douma with 2,400 food parcels and 3,240 bags of wheat flour.

The Syrian army has captured over 62 percent of Eastern Ghouta in recent days, as part of an ongoing offensive to dislodge rebels from the key areas on the eastern rim of Damascus. Enditem