Evacuation of three Syrian towns begins under rare deal: monitor

Beirut: The evacuation of more than 450 fighters and civilians including wounded started on Monday from three Syrian towns under a rare deal between the regime and rebels, a monitor said.

More than 120 fighters are to leave Zabadani, the last rebel bastion on Syria's border with Lebanon, to other rebel-held areas in Syria via Lebanon and Turkey, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

About 335 civilians and fighters are to leave the Fuaa and Kefraya, the last two government-held Shiite villages in northwestern Idlib province, to return to regime-held areas, also via the two neighbouring countries, it said.