Another Group of Militants Preparing to Leave Southern Damascus - Source

BEIRUT (Sputnik) - Buses that will transport the second group of militants and their family members to the north of Syria began to arrive in the settlements of Babbela, Beit Sahem and Yalda, located in the south of Damascus, an informed source told Sputnik on Friday.

"Several buses have already crossed into Babbela and Yalda. The second column [of buses] will be formed, after which it will head to the country's north," the source said.

On Thursday evening, a column of 32 buses, carrying a total of 2,000 militants and their family members, left southern Damascus for the province of Idlib.

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In late April, the Syrian government with the assistance of the Russian reconciliation center for Syria managed to achieve agreement with the heads of extremist armed gangs on the withdrawal of militants from the south of Damascus.

Under the agreement, terrorists, who refused to lay down arms, were allowed to leave for Idlib and the Syrian northern city of Jarabulus with their families. The rest of militants will be covered by the program of national reconciliation and might count on amnesty declared by Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The Syrian army is currently engaged in liberating Damascus neighborhoods from militants. The last stronghold of Daesh and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham* terrorists is located to the south of Damascus in the area consisting of the Yarmouk refugee camp and surrounding settlements.

*Daesh [IS, ISIL, Islamic State] and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [al-Nusra, the Nusra Front, al-Nusra Front] are terrorist organizations banned in Russia.