- Title: Syrian rebels begin to leave last opposition-held Homs district
- Date: 20th May 2017
- Summary: HOMS, SYRIA (MAY 20, 2017) (REUTERS) TRUCKS LOADED WITH REBELS' BELONGINGS STANDING IN WAER DISTRICT VARIOUS OF WAER REBELS AND FAMILIES PUTTING THEIR BELONGINGS ON TRUCK VARIOUS OF ARMED RUSSIAN MILITARY POLICE SOLDIERS STANDING IN STREET REBEL SITTING IN BUS AND SMILING TO CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF RUSSIAN RECONCILIATION OFFICE IN HOMS, SERGEI DRUZHIN, SAYING: "Our role remains unchanged. We (Russia) are security guarantors, first, (AUDIO OF MAN TRANSLATING TO ARABIC) and insure that all arrangements provided for by the agreement are fully implemented." REBELS PACKING THEIR BELONGINGS ARMED REBELS WALKING DOWN STREET VARIOUS OF ARMED REBELS PREPARING TO BOARD A BUS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HOMS GOVERNOR, TALAL BARAZI, SAYING: "The convoy will move once the last militant has left Waer district, the convoy will move in two stages, in the direction of Idlib and Jarablus in the northern suburbs of Aleppo. The number of militants expected (to leave) is around 700 - with their families the total number could number around 3,000. I think this process will take around 20 hours and it will either finish tonight or at dawn tomorrow." REBELS SMOKING OUTSIDE THE BUS VARIOUS OF REBELS STANDING IN LINE VARIOUS OF GIRL CARRYING GUN AND GETTING READY TO BOARD BUS GIRL STANDING AT BUS DOOR WEARING HEADBAND WITH NUSRA FRONT T SIGN READING (Arabic): "THERE IS NOT GOD BUT ALLAH, AND MUHAMMAD IS HIS MESSENGER, THE NUSRA FRONT" VARIOUS OF BUSES LEAVING
- Embargoed: 3rd June 2017 14:54
- Keywords: Syrian rebels leaving Homs Russian Military Police rebels evacuation in Homs
- Location: HOMS, SYRIA
- City: HOMS, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0016HN6I4N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Syrian rebels started leaving the last opposition-held district of Homs city in western Syria on Saturday (May 20) in the final phase of an evacuation deal that will see President Bashar al-Assad's government take back the area.
Fighters took with them their light weapons, as agreed, and boarded buses along with women and children. Many were headed for insurgent-held Idlib province in Syria's northwest, or the town of Jarablus on the border with Turkey.
At least four buses had left al-Waer by mid-afternoon, and dozens more were expected to follow, to bring more than 2,500 people out of the district long besieged by government forces and their allies in the country's civil war. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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