Rebels to evacuate Damascus' Qalamoun region to northern Syria

DAMASCUS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Buses were prepared on Saturday to evacuate rebels and their families from areas in the eastern part of Qalamoun region north of the capital Damascus under a new deal, state news agency SANA reported.

The rebels and their family members will leave Ruhabieh area as well as the towns of Jairud and Nasiriyeh, and this evacuation will end the rebels' presence in the eastern part of Qalamoun mountainous region.

The militants will go to rebel-held areas in northern Syria under the Russia-brokered deal.

The latest deal was reached after rebels evacuated the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus earlier this month, while the Syrian army is advancing in the battles to clear the rebels from the vicinity of the capital.

South of Damascus, the Syrian government forces are pounding the positions of the Islamic State (IS) group in the Hajar al-Aswad area, amid reports of a near end to the battles in other areas.

The Syrian government is working to secure the surroundings of Damascus through evacuation deals with rebels, and the ongoing military offensive on IS militants south of the capital.

The Syrian forces have seized control of Eastern Ghouta, the key place for the capital's security because of previous daily mortar attacks and infiltration attempts from the rebels in the region. Enditem