4th convoy of evacuees from Daraa arrives in Idlib

By Esref Musa

DARAA, Syria

A fourth convoy carrying opposition fighters and civilians from Syria’s southwestern Daraa province arrived in opposition-held parts of Idlib in the country’s north on Saturday.

The 10-bus convoy is reportedly carrying some 450 passengers, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent based in the region.

With the new arrivals, at least 2,850 people have been evacuated from Daraa to Idlib and Aleppo’s western countryside in recent days.

Last month, the Syrian regime -- with Russian air support -- launched a major military operation in Daraa, allowing it and its allies to establish control over most of Syria’s border with Jordan.

The fighting led to a major displacement crisis, with an estimated 350,000 civilians fleeing Daraa towards areas near the border.

Following peace talks last year in Kazakh capital Astana, Daraa was designated a “de-escalation zone” in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this story in Ankara