Negotiations underway for full reconciliation in southern Damascus

A limited evacuation deal was struck today between the Syrian government and the rebels entailing the evacuation of 4 sick civilians from the towns of Kafraya and Foua’a in return for the evacuation of 4 Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants from Yarmouk Camp.

Hundreds of civilians remain inside Kafraya and Foua’a after the last agreement collapsed due to the bombing that killed over a hundred civilians from the towns mostly women and children as they transited through Aleppo’s western countryside.

Talks are ongoing between government and rebel delegates to reach a full agreement on the evacuation of both ISIS and HTS militants holed up inside Yarmouk Camp to northern Syria as the Syrian Arab Army plans to secure the southern Damascus belt made up of Yalda, Babbila, Yarmouk Camp, and Hajar al-Aswad by the end of the year.

In return for the rebel evacuation of the aforementioned towns in southern Damascus, the Syrian government is likely to cede control of Kafraya and Foua’a- its last remaining foothold in Idlib province bringing an end to the suffering of its local populace which has withstood over two years of siege since Idlib’s fall in the spring of 2015.