Cii Radio| Ayesha Ismail| 19 April 2017| 21 Rajab 1438
Evacuations from four besieged areas of Syria resumed on Wednesday, Syrian state television, a Hezbollah media unit and a war monitor reported, days after a suicide bombing killed dozens in a convoy which was part of the same reciprocal agreement.
Some 45 buses carrying 3,000 people left the rebel-besieged Shiite villages of Fua and Kefraya near Idlib for government-controlled Aleppo, while a convoy of 11 buses left army-besieged Zabadani, the Hezbollah media unit said.
On Saturday, a bomb attack on a convoy of evacuees from Fua and Kefraya killed 126 people, including more than 60 children, the war monitor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported.
Under the deal, civilians and pro-government fighters from the Shiite villages were travelling by bus to government-controlled Aleppo, while insurgents and their families from Zabadani and Madaya near Damascus crossed to rebel-held territory, having first gone to Aleppo.
Three buses on Wednesday also carried wounded people from Saturday’s convoy attack, as well as the remains of those who had died, the Hezbollah military media unit reported.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday’s bombing.
Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, which has many fighters in the area, denied any involvement.
The government blamed “terrorists” – a catch-all term for its opponents.
The evacuation deal was brokered late last month by Qatar, a longtime supporter of the rebels, and Iran, a key regime ally. Its implementation had been repeatedly delayed.
Source – Middle east eye
