272 Syrian rebel fighters and 447 civilians were evacuated from the al-Waer District of the city of Homs today, the last district which was out of the control of the Syrian government. The evacuation was overseen by the UN as part of a deal that returned the city to government control.
Homs has been contested for several years, and the recent Syrian military offensive in the area had added pressure to the blockaded neighborhood, virtually obliging them to negotiate a handover. UN officials are expressing hope that deals like this one can reduce fighting in heavily populated areas and provide a basis for broader peace talks in the future.
One diplomat was quoted by Reuters as saying the Waer ceasefire, negotiated by local factions, was serving as the basis for more ceasefires, and that some are talking about as many as 40-50 more local ceasefires being discussed in the near future.
The exact composition of the various rebel factions who evacuated the district is not apparent, but reportedly included at least some members of al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra. The rebels were allowed to flee north into other rebel-held territory.
The point about Homs is that it lies between the coast and Damascus, and Assad (and Putin!) would like to keep both. As for the rebel fighters, weren't we told that there were no rebels? They seem to pop up out of the ground only when they criticise the US or are defeated by Assad!
"272 Syrian rebel fighters and 447 civilians"
That requires a bit of editing:
"272 Syrian rebel fighters and 447 camp followers"
Leaving behind 35,000 civilians who should now enjoy a bit a peace.
That the rebels previously avoided such deals because they believed Obama, Kerry, Cameron, Hollande, et al. when they said that Assad had to leave before the transition confirms in my mind that Obama, Kerry, Cameron, and Hollande are primarily responsible for the dead in Syria.