Syria army evacuates 160 families in East Ghouta

The Syrian army has evacuated as many as 160 families out of a militant-besieged area east of the capital Damascus.

According to reports on Thursday, the army secured a safe passage for the families from the city of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta region.

The evacuees included women, children and the elderly.

Syria’s official news agency SANA said on December 30 that army forces had secured a safe passage for 31 families from the city of Douma and town of Zibdin in the same region.

On December 9, the Syrian army secured a safe passage for 76 families out of Douma, including 322 men, women and children and 20 armed men who had turned themselves in to authorities.

The ISIL terrorist group, known for its brutal tactics, has seized some territories in Syria as well as neighboring Iraq.

Over the past months, Syrian soldiers have made numerous gains in the battle against the foreign-sponsored militants, inflicting heavy losses on them in several areas.

Syria has been grappling with a deadly conflict since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 200,000 people, according to reports.

Over 7.2 million Syrians have al