Syria war: Jaish al-Islam to evacuate n of Eastern Ghouta fighters

Syrian rebel group Jaish al-Islam has agreed to evacuate jihadist fighters being held in its prisons in besieged Eastern Ghouta, a statement says.

The group says the decision was made in consultation with a delegation that entered with a UN aid convoy.

The Syrian government has stepped up efforts in retake the rebel-held enclave in recent weeks, leading to more than 900 reported civilian deaths.

Pro-government forces have now reportedly taken half the area.

Some 400,000 people are trapped and efforts to reach a deal to halt the bloodshed have gone on for weeks.

Jaish al-Islam said it had come to an agreement with a variety of parties, including the UN, to evacuate the fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - an alliance of factions led by the Nusra Front, which sprung from al-Qaeda.

Eastern Ghouta devastation seen from space
Why is there a war in Syria?
Syrian state TV showed pictures on Friday of what it said was a number of fighters boarding a bus to leave the enclave.

Image copyrightEPA
Image caption
The first 13 were said to have been transported out using the Syrian government designated al-Wafidden corridor
Who are the rebel groups?
The rebels in Eastern Ghouta are not one cohesive group. They encompass multiple factions, including jihadists, and in-fighting between them has led to past losses of ground to the Syrian government.

The two largest groups are Jaish al-Islam and its rival Faylaq al-Rahman. The latter has in the past fought alongside HTS.

Eastern Ghouta is so close to Damascus that it is possible for rebels to fire mortars into the heart of the capital, which has led to scores of civilian deaths.

source: www.bbc.com