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On May 16, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) entered the al-Hula region in the western part of the northern Homs pocket, thus imposing its control of all the former positions of the militants in northern Homs, according to the Hezbollah media wing in Syria.
Earlier, the SAA and its allies entered into the towns of Rastan and Talbiseh in the northern Homs pocket and reopened the Homs-Hama highway.
The SAA General Command announced in an official statement that the SAA had entered over 65 villages and towns in the northern Homs pocket under the reconciliation agreement, which was reached on May 2. Over 31,000 militants and their relatives withdrew from these towns and villages under the agreement, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Syrian pro-government sources reported that most of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) officers and fighters in northern Homs pocket had chosen to reconcile with the Damascus government and handed over all of their weapons. These fighters are expected to join the SAA and other pro-government forces in the upcoming months.
