Over 1,000 Militants With Families Leave Liberated Syrian Barada Valley

About 1,100 people, including militants and their families, left the settlements in the Barada Valley, in accordance with the agreements made with the Syrian army, a source familiar with the situation told Sputnik on Monday.

BEIRUT (Sputnik) — On Sunday, the Syrian army fully liberated the Wadi Barada area near the Syrian capital of Damascus, including the village of Ein Al Fejeh, where a crucial water source is located.

"About 56 buses departed from the Barada Valley in the direction of Idlib yesterday. At this moment, about 1,100 people have left the village," the source said.

The military said they signed ceasefire agreements in some of the villages, including Ein Al Fejeh, to let civilians and militants leave the area and avoid violent altercations.

Over 6 million residents of Damascus were left without water after militants cut Damascus of water supply. The repair brigades have already arrived in the area to restore the water connection.

According to Alaa Ibrahim, the head of the Damascus governorate, the water supply in the capital will be reinstated in a few days, but the system on the whole may take a few months to repair.