Refugees return to Syria from Lebanon in Hezbollah-mediated deal

Record ID: 899406

  • Title: Refugees return to Syria from Lebanon in Hezbollah-mediated deal
  • Date: 12th July 2017
  • Summary: NEAR ARSAL, LEBANON (JULY 12, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ARMED HEZBOLLAH MEMBERS STANDING ON HILL TOP, GUARDING CONVOY CONVOY OF SYRIAN REFUGEES IN VEHICLES DRIVING ALONG ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN REFUGEE, SAYING: "From Arsal to Asal al-Ward (in Syria), we are going back to our country." CONVOY DRIVING ALONG ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN REFUGEE, AHMAD ABDALLAH EL HAJJ, SAYING: "I come from Arsal and I am going to Syria, on my tractor, we are going back to our country. It's been 4 years I am in Lebanon." CONVOY DRIVING ALONG ROAD STATIONARY CONVOY BACKED UP ON ROAD PEOPLE SITTING IN THE BACK OF TRUCK VARIOUS OF STATIONARY CONVOY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN REFUGEE, ABEER MAHMOUD EL HAJJ, SAYING: "We were in Arsal, it's been three years that we haven't seen our families and relatives, May God return everyone to his country, there is nothing better than Syria soil, I wish for everyone who is still outside his country to return back to his home with his family safe, it’s all thanks to God." YOUNG GIRLS, SITTING ON TOP OF TRUCK YOUNG CHILDREN LAYING ON TOP OF TRUCK WAVING
  • Embargoed: 26th July 2017 19:22
  • Keywords: Syria deal Arsal Refugees return Hezbollah Lebanon convoys Army home
  • Location: NEAR ARSAL, LEBANON
  • City: NEAR ARSAL, LEBANON
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016PETYYV
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:A convoy of refugees began leaving the Lebanese border region for Syria on Wednesday (July 12), a security source said. They were the second group to return under an agreement brokered by the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah.
    The Lebanese army escorted around 250 people out of the border town of Arsal, a security source said. The refugees headed for the Syrian town of Asal al-Ward across the border, northeast of Damascus.
    Hezbollah arranged the deal in indirect talks with the Syrian rebel group Saraya Ahl al-Sham, according to an official in the alliance fighting in support of the Damascus government.
    More than 1 million registered Syrian refugees have fled to Lebanon, a quarter of its population, the United Nations refugee agency says. The number is widely put at closer to 1.5 million.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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