4 May 2018 09:32

Militants' evacuation from southern suburb of Damascus begins - Russian military

HMEIMIM. May 4 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian military has announced the opening of a humanitarian passage to evacuate militants and their families from the southern suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus.

"The evacuation of militants and members of their families has begun amid total security measures from the populated localities of Yelda, Babila and Beit Sahm in the Muhayam al-Yarmouk district under agreements earlier reached by the center for reconciliation and Russian military police units," Maj. Gen. Yury Yevtushenko, head of the Russian center for reconciliation of the opposing sides in Syria, said on Thursday.

"For these purposes, a temporary humanitarian corridor with a checkpoint near the populated locality of Beit Sahm was opened today," he said.

"The Russian center for reconciliation is taking measures aimed at persuading members of illegal armed units still present in the southern part of Damascus to join the truce," Yevtushenko said.