Over 500 Armed Opposition Members in Syrian Homs Agree to Lay Down Arms

As many as 545 members of the Syrian armed opposition in the al-Waer district of the city of Homs decided to lay down arms in compliance with President Bashar Assad’s Amnesty Decree, local media reported Wednesday, citing a source at the reconciliation committee.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — The committee continues calling on those who are willing to get back to the peaceful life to have their legal status settled, the Sana news agency said.

On March 13, Governor of the Homs province Talal Barazi said the withdrawal of militants and their families would take between six and eight weeks. Last Saturday, over 1,400 militants and members of their families left al-Waer toward the Jarabulus city to the north of the Aleppo province as part of a special operation in compliance with the agreement.

In July 2016, Assad issued a decree officially confirming amnesty for rebels who lay down arms.

Armed opposition units remaining in Syria's Homs, in accordance with the agreement reached with the military, will have to leave the city stage by stage within 6-8 weeks. The part of the armed opposition, which does not want to use the presidential amnesty, will have the opportunity to go to the province of Idlib, which is controlled by extremist groups.