More militants evacuated within second phase of Daraya settlement

The implementation of the second phase of Daraya settlement agreement, reached late on Thursday, started earlier today.

According to the agreement, the city, located in the Western Ghouta of Damascus, will be evacuated of weapons and gunmen whereby state establishments can operate again and people can return to the city.

Yesterday, within the first phase, 300 out of a total of 700 gunmen with their families were evacuated towards the northern Idleb city. Those would leave their medium and heavy weapons behind in Daraya.

Some 4000 people will also be evacuated and relocated to makeshift centers which the governorate of Damascus Countryside had prepared and provided with all basic supplies, according to the agreement. Some of those left Daraya on Friday.

Speaking from inside Daraya, SANA reporter said tens of buses had entered the city earlier today to evacuate more people and gunmen.

A number of those buses transporting families have already left the city towards the makeshift centers, while others transporting gunmen and their family members have headed towards Idleb city, after being searched at army checkpoints as they cannot take any medium or heavy weapons with them.

The reporter noted that the gunmen had set to fire many of their headquarters and positions inside Daraya before their departure, just like their fellow militants did yesterday.

The positions set ablaze contained computers and communication devices, proving that the gunmen had external affiliations, according to the reporter.

On Friday a field commander told the reporters in Daraya that a number of gunmen had asked that their legal status be settled, to which the authorities consented.

Later, Governor of Damascus Countryside Alaa Ibrahim toured some neighborhoods in Daraya city and inspected the situation there, telling the reporters that engineering teams will be sent to the city to set up plans for reconstruction there.

The governor noted that the evacuated families are being located to a makeshift center in al-Hirjalleh village in al-Kiswa area to the south of Damascus.

The center includes 724 housing places, 300 of which are fully equipped and prepared, according to Ibrahim.