Militants, families to depart Lebanon under truce deal

By Wasim Seif al-Din

BEIRUT (AA) - A bus convoy arrived in eastern Lebanon on Monday to transfer hundreds of militants and their families to northern Syria.

The move comes as part of a ceasefire deal between Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham group, which went into effect last Thursday in the border area between the two countries.

The ceasefire, which covers Lebanon’s flashpoint town of Juroud Arsal, calls for the departure of fighters from Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly known as the Nusra Front), in exchange for the release of three Hezbollah fighters captured in Syria in 2016 while fighting alongside Assad regime forces.

According to information received by an Anadolu Agency correspondent based in the region, Jabhat Fateh militants and their families will be taken by bus from Juroud Arsal to the Syrian town of Falita.

Lebanon’s official news agency has reported that the mass transfer is expected to include “thousands” of people.

On Sunday, Hezbollah and Jabhat Fateh exchanged the bodies of slain fighters within the context of the truce agreement.

Backed by Syrian fighter jets, Hezbollah in mid-July began fighting several Syrian armed groups -- including Jabhat Fateh, against which it registered a number of gains -- in and around Juroud Arsal.

During the fighting, human rights groups had voiced concern for the safety of some 100,000 Syrian refugees now living in the region.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians have been killed, according to UN officials.

The Syrian regime, however, says the total number of those killed in the conflict is much lower.