In the al-Wa’ar district of Homs city, fighters of the armed opposition have begun to leave following a truce which was agreed between battalions of the armed opposition and the Syrian regime, and under the auspices of the United Nations.
Fourteen coaches, provided by the Syrian regime, left the district today carrying 3000 fighters with their families, the majority of them among those who left Old Homs in the truce which was reached in early 2014, in addition to 25 humanitarian cases of civilians suffering from paralysis.
According to activists in the district, the coaches will depart to rural Idlib, which is almost completely controlled by the armed opposition.
According to the truce which was agreed upon, fighters who rejected the truce and did not wish to comply were given the option of leaving with their families.
The truce compromises of three stages which will span approximately two months. The first stage, which starts today, includes a ceasefire between regime forces and the armed opposition for ten days, and allows fighters and civilians to leave with their light weapons, as well as allowing the entering of relief into the district. In the second stage, all mine maps and medium grade weapons are handed in. In addition, 270 prisoners held by the regime forces are released and the displaced are allowed to return to the district. In the third stage, those who wish to leave are allowed to leave to rural Hama and rural Idlib, and the remaining weapons are left to the Syrian regime.
The al-Wa’ar district is considered the final district controlled by the armed opposition in the city of Homs. Currently, 75,000 people live there, although its population was approximately 300,000 in 2011.