BEIRUT: Syrian state media say hundreds of rebels fighters in a town northeast of Damascus have handed in their weapons and started to leave under an evacuation deal.
Under the agreement, the rebels are allowed to move with their families to opposition-held areas in the country’s north, effectively surrendering their turf to Syrian government forces.
The state SANA news agency says the Army of Islam fighters and their families are leaving the town of Dumayr on Thursday. The report says 1,500 rebels and 3,500 of their next of kin are to leave Dumayr for the town of Jarablus, near the Turkish border.
Dumayr is in the Qalamoun mountains, near the eastern Ghouta region which came under full government control last week after a weeks-long offensive and an alleged chemical weapons attack.
Syrian rebels hand over arms, leave another town near Douma
Syrian rebels hand over arms, leave another town near Douma
Iranian missiles fly over Israel and the West Bank
- Explosions could be heard as Israeli defenses activated to shoot down incoming Iranian fire
Missiles were seen flying towards Israel in the early hours of Saturday, as the Israeli military said it identified missiles launched from Iran towards Israel.
Shortly after the fresh barrage the army said it had begun a new wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure in Tehran.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency has meanwhile reported that heavy air attacks hit Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport.
Israel also launched fresh attacks on Lebanon and said it was attacking Iranian and Hezbollah targets.
There was no immediate comment from Iran's Revolutionary Guard or Hezbollah. Hezbollah has fired rockets at Israel, sparking Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and Lebanon's east and south.
Inside Israel, explosions could be heard as Israeli defenses activated to shoot down incoming Iranian fire.
