Rebels Agree To Leave al-Waer
Rebel forces have agreed to leave their last enclave in the city of Homs, BBC News reported.
Rebel fighters in al-Waer would evacuate the neighborhood over a period of up to eight weeks, according to the governor of Homs, Talal Barrazi. Buses evacuating the rebels and their families will take them to Idlib, northern Homs province, or Jarablus near the Turkish border, according to pro-opposition Orient News.
An estimated 75,000 people have been under siege by government forces since 2013 in al-Waer. Rebel forces in the enclave agreed to a five-stage truce with the government in December 2015.
Rebels Refuse to Attend Talks in Astana
The Syrian opposition will not attend peace talks brokered by Russia in the Kazakh capital set for March 14 and 15, Reuters reported.
“Currently the decision is not to go as a result of Russia continuing its crimes in Syria against civilians and its support of the crimes of the Syrian regime,” said opposition spokesman Osama Abu Zaid.
Rebels blame Moscow for not exerting pressure on its ally, the Syrian government, to stop bombarding civilians in rebel-held areas or to adhere to the cease-fire.
A new cease-fire has been declared by Russia for March 7–20. On Saturday, rebels asked for peace talks in Astana to be postponed until the Syrian government and its allies followed the new cease-fire.
Syrian Government Forces Advance Toward Rebel Enclave Outside Capital
Syrian government and allied forces have advanced in opposition-held parts of Damascus, Reuters reported.
Pro-government forces are close to splitting the rebel-held enclave east of the capital into two, activists said, by taking over a road that connects the besieged districts of Qaboun, Tishreen and Barzeh on the outskirts of the capital. Government forces began targeting the three neighborhoods last month despite a three-year truce, to pressure adjacent rebel neighborhoods.
The three neighborhoods are located between Damascus and the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, which has been under siege since 2013.
RECOMMENDED READS:
- Al Jazeera: Geneva Four and the Shifting Shape of Syria Diplomacy
- Al Monitor: Extremist Expansion in Southern Syria Puts Jordan on Guard
- Time: The U.S. Troop Presence in Syria Is at Its Highest Ever. But How Long Are They on the Ground for and Why?
- Syria Direct: ‘They’re Not Letting Us Leave’: Residents in East Damascus Suburbs Trapped as Government Renews Military Offensive
- Syria Untold: Agency and Hope: Helping Communities Healing Themselves