Evacuations of rebels from last Damascus stronghold begins

State media and opposition activists say scores of rebels and their families have begun leaving a northeastern neighborhood of the Syrian capital Damascus toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

The evacuations from Qaboun come a day after government forces and their allies captured most of the area from insurgents.

State news agency SANA says hundreds of fighters boarded several buses and left toward the northwestern province of Idlib. It said those who decide to stay can benefit from a government amnesty and return to normal life.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 20 buses left Qaboun and others are expected to follow.

The evacuations from Qaboun come days after hundreds of opposition fighters were evacuated from the nearby neighborhoods of Barzeh and Tishrin.

— AP