Rebels expected to evacuate eastern Ghouta

Buses waited outside a bombed-out town on Thursday in Syria's eastern Ghouta, east of Damascus, one day after a deal was announced by both rebels and the Syrian government media to evacuate rebels and civilians from the besieged town.

It is the first instance of rebel fighters leaving the opposition stronghold east of the capital Damascus.

A dozen white buses were parked by the side of the road into the enclave. The rebels and their families will be transported to the northwestern province of Idlib.

The Syrian army on Thursday removed barriers at the entrance of Harasta, another besieged town in eastern Ghouta, as a prelude to the evacuation of 1,500 militants, according to State TV and a Xinhua News Agency reporter.

The Xinhua reporter said Red Crescent vehicles have also started moving into Harasta for the evacuation of the wounded as part of the agreement that will see the departure of 1,500 rebels and 6,000 civilians of their families toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

The civilians, who are not wishing to go with the rebels, will remain in Harasta, a key bastion of the Ahrar al-Sham group.

The evacuation agreement, brokered by Russia, could empty one of three remaining pockets in eastern Ghouta and mark a major step forward in government efforts to secure the nearby capital Damascus, AFP said.

Monther Fares, a spokesman for the Ahrar al-Sham group, confirmed that fighters of his group would be evacuated to northern Syria.

He added that the government gives security guarantees for those who decide to stay in the town after the government takes over.

Harasta overlooks the main international road connecting Damascus with central and northern Syria.

When rebels captured Harasta in early 2012, the road was highly threatened with snipers, which forced the people to take a longer road around the capital in the western part to reach central and northern Syria from Damascus.

The evacuation also came as Syrian forces completely besieged Harasta, after advancing in eastern Ghouta and splitting the region into three parts, one of which was Harasta. Government forces have seized more than 70 percent of the area since Feb 18.

A day earlier, 30 rebels surrendered to the Syrian army after evacuating the Harasta, said the War Media, the media wing of the Syrian army.

The surrendering rebels reached the humanitarian corridor established recently by the Syrian Army near the Water Resources facility in Harasta, said the report.

The pro-government al-Watan online newspaper said on Wednesday that the Ahrar al-Sham rebels could leave Harasta soon after declaring the acceptance of their evacuation.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said as many as 140 families evacuated Harasta toward government-controlled areas in Damascus.

Xinhua, AP and AFP contributed to this story.