LATEST: Opposition — 52 Killed on Sunday; State Media: 14 Civilians Slain by Insurgents
Syrian insurgents and the Assad regime have reached a deal for the departure of opposition fighters, the wounded, and civilians from Homs, an opposition negotiator said Sunday.
“An agreement occurred between representatives of the rebels and the chiefs of security, in the presence of the Iranian ambassador, for the pullout of fighters from the Old City to the northern countryside of Homs,” Abul Hareth al-Khalidi said.
Al-Khalidi said the discussions were now focused on implementation of the arrangement.
A 48-hour ceasefire was agreed on Friday for discussions. Insurgents have held parts of Homs since 2012. While Syrian forces have used bombardment and ground attacks to take over most of Syria’s third-largest city, opposition fighters were still lodged in areas such as the Old City.
Under Sunday’s agreement, about 2,250 people, mostly fighters, will evacuate the Old City section. The insurgents will withdraw to an opposition-controlled area in northern Homs Province.
To protect themselves, the fighters can take light weapons, and one rocket launcher will be permitted on every bus in the evacuation.
The Red Crescent will transport the wounded, with United Nations and Iranian representatives on the evacuation buses.
An unknown number of Iranian and Lebanese prisoners, currently held by the Islamic Front, will be released, and insurgents will allow aid into the besieged village of Nubol and Zahraa, north of Aleppo.
Opposition: 52 Killed on Sunday; State Media: 14 Civilians Slain by Insurgents
The Local Coordination Committees say 52 people were killed on Sunday, including 15 in Aleppo Province and 12 in Damascus and its suburbs.
State news agency SANA claim 14 civilians were slain by insurgent mortars, 12 of them in Aleppo.
