DAMASCUS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- An agreement has been reached on Friday for the evacuation of rebels and their families from new areas in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside, according to the state TV.
As many as 7,000 rebels and their family members are to leave areas of Jobar, Zamalka, Arbeen, and Ayn Tarma in Eastern Ghouta, and the deal covers the main rebel groups in control of those areas, namely the Failaq al-Rahman, and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, according to the report.
The agreement, which was mediated by the Russians, will also see the release of kidnapped people by the rebels ahead of their evacuation and lists of names will be handed over to the Russian side, the report said.
The evacuation will take place on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.(0730 GMT) after the rebels hand over maps of the tunnels they dug and mines they planted in the aforementioned areas.
The Syrian army has already captured over 80 percent of Eastern Ghouta in an offensive that has been ongoing since late last month.
