Syrian rebels evacuate Damascus suburb in deal with government
AMMAN -- Hundreds of insurgents and their families have left two rebel-held towns on the northern outskirts of Damascus, residents and fighters said, under a deal with the government which is pushing its opponents to rebel areas further from the Syrian capital.
The evacuation happened after the army gave community leaders in Qudsiya and Al-Hama - that had enjoyed relative calm under local truces - an ultimatum to get several hundred fighters out of their towns or face a widescale assault.
The government says such amnesties are a "workable model to bring security and peace" after five years of civil war, but its opponents say forcing Sunni Muslim fighters and their families from their home towns could create new demographic frontiers and worsen sectarian tensions.
