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Residents, fighters begin evacuating four Syrian besieged towns under a deal

Syrian Observatory for Human rights confirmed the beginning of the evacuation

Afp April 14, 2017

Syrians aboard a bus from government-held Fuaa and Kafraya arrive in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo city, as part of an evacuation deal Syrians aboard a bus from government-held Fuaa and Kafraya arrive in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo city, as part of an evacuation deal. PHOTO: AFP

BEIRUT: Civilians and fighters began Friday morning evacuating four towns besieged by rebels and government forces under a deal brokered by opposition backer Qatar and regime ally Iran, an AFP correspondent and local source told AFP.

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An AFP correspondent in rebel-held Rashidin, west of Aleppo city, said at least 80 buses arrived in the region from government-held Fuaa and Kafraya in Idlib province. A rebel source in Idlib told AFP "the implementation of the deal started in the morning".

The Syrian Observatory for Human rights confirmed the beginning of the evacuation.

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At least 600,000 people are living under siege in Syria, according to the United Nations, with another four million people in so-called “hard-to-reach” areas.

More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011.