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Last batch of militants evacuate East Qalamoun: Syrian media

People from the towns of al-Rahiba, Nasiriyah and al-Athma take to the streets to welcome Syrian government troops and security forces into their towns on April 25, 2018. (Photo by SANA)

Law and order has been restored to Syria's East Qalamoun region after the final batch of militants leave the enclave located in the suburbs of the capital Damascus.

Syrian media reported on Wednesday that people from al-Rahiba, Nasiriyah and al-Athma took to the streets to welcome government troops and security forces into their towns following the militants' evacuation.

Some 3,700 militants and their families have left the region since Friday under a deal with the Syrian government.

Elsewhere in the region, security forces continue with their operations aimed at purging the towns of Yarmuk and Hajar al-Aswad of the presence of terrorists.

On Tuesday, the Syrian minister in charge for national reconciliation, Ali Haidar, announced that remaining militants in southern Damascus will not be offered reconciliation deals by the government.

He added that Syrian military operations will continue in the region until the terrorists are eradicated.

As a result of a deal between the Syrian government and militant groups on the withdrawal of militants from the three localities, armed groups and their families have been evacuating Eastern Qalamoun since Saturday, after handing over their weapons and ammunition to the government troops.

People of the towns of al-Rahiba, Nasiriyah and al-Athma take to the streets to welcome government troops and security forces into their towns on April 25, 2018. (Photo by SANA)

On Saturday, Syrian forces established full control over a town northeast of the capital, Damascus, after the militants controlling the area agreed to hand it back to the government.  

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The withdrawal of Jaish al-Islam militants and their families followed that of their fellows earlier this month from the town of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus.

The Syrian army on April 14 declared the liberation of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, after the last pockets of militants from the so-called Jaish al-Islam group and their families left the area.

The militants and their relatives were fully evacuated to the militant-held city of Jarablus in northern Syria.


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