Militants To Surrender Damascus’ Al-Qadam District To Syrian Government – Reports

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On September 22, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups in al-Qadam district in the southern part of the Syrian Capital Damascus reached an agreement with the Syrian government to hand over the district to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), according to Syrian opposition sources.

The sources said that, according to the agreement, a unspecified number of FSA, HTS fighters (including 50 injured fighters) and civilians will be evacuated to Jarabulus city in the northern Aleppo countryside and Idlib governorate.

The evacuation process is set to take place on September 25 and 26, according to the sources.

The Syrian government will allow all civilians who are not willing to leave to remain in al-Qadam district. Furthermore, the Syrian government will also allow FSA fighters who are willing to give up their arms to stay in the district, according to the sources.

If the agreement is confirmed, it will tighten the SAA siege on the ISIS-held areas in Yarmouk camp and al-Hajar al-Aswad district east of al-Qadam district. The FSA captured these districts in early 2012 during its first attack on Damascus city. Since than, HTS and ISIS have taken over most of the areas there.