Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Homs, SANA- Over 1400 gunmen and members of their families have left al-Waer neighborhood on the western outskirts of Homs city.
They left for the northern countryside of Homs province in the framework of implementing the reconciliation agreement that was reached in the neighborhood, paving the way for the return of all the governmental institutions to it.
SANA reporter in Homs said 432 gunmen who rejected the reconciliation agreement and 1056 of their families have headed towards the northern countryside of Homs.
Homs Governor Talal al-Barazi told SANA reporter that the governorate has completed all logistic preparations and measures for getting the first batch of the gunmen out of al-Waer in the framework of implementing the reconciliation agreement which was agreed upon last week.
The Governor added that the first group includes the evacuation of more than 1500 gunmen and members of their families towards the northeastern countryside of Aleppo province, pointing out that the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the Syrian and Russian military police supervise the process.
The Governor denied reports circulated by some media outlets which are involved in the bloodshed in Syria that a demographic change is planned for al-Waer neighborhood.
“These lies are a desperate attempt aimed at sabotaging the reconciliation agreement of al-Waer neighborhood in particular and the process of successive reconciliations in general,” said al-Barazi.
He clarified that over 40,000 people will stay in the neighborhood after all the gunmen who reject the reconciliation leave along with their families, who are 10,000 people in total.
He added that the governorate is working on drawing up a comprehensive plan to secure the return of all the families that had earlier left their houses in al-Waer neighborhood after the evacuation process is completed and services are fully restored.
Secretary of Homs Branch of al-Baath Arab Socialist Party Ammar al-Sibaai noted that over 100,000 people are expected to return to their homes after the reconciliation agreement is fully implemented.
Commander of Homs Police Mag. Gen. Khaled Hilal said after the agreement is fully completed, al-Waer neighborhood will be declared secure, and consequently the whole city of Homs will be fully secured.
He added that units of the Internal Security Forces will be back on duty in al-Waer neighborhood once the agreement is accomplished, affirming that security will be established in the neighborhood and families will return to their homes.
Last Monday, a reconciliation agreement was reached in al-Waer neighborhood in Homs city providing for settling the situation of the gunmen in the neighborhood and the evacuation of those who reject the settlement with their families, paving the way for the return of the state institutions, in coordination between the security and military committee in Homs and the Russian reconciliation center in Hmeimim-base.
Al-Waer is the last neighborhood in the city of Homs where armed groups still spread, imposing a siege on the locals.
In March 2014, armed groups were evacuated from the old city of Homs.
H. Zain/ Mazen/H. Said
