OVER 100 MEMBERS OF AHRAR AL-SHAM SURRENDER TO SYRIAN ARMY IN HOMS

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On December 22, 121 fighters of the Ahrar al-Sham Movement from the town of Daar al-Kabira the northern Homs countryside laid down their arms and surrendered to the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), according to the Russian Reconciliation Centre in Syria.

The Reconciliation Centre said that the fighters agreed to surrender after a joint work between its officers and the Syrian National Reconciliation Committee. The center added that its field commanders continue to negotiate with commanders of different Syrian oppositions groups in the provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, Hama and al-Quneitra to extend the ceasefire agreement in Syria.

The northern Homs countryside is one of the de-escalation zones that has been established in Syria. However, the de-escalation agreement there has been breached many times by a coalition of the Ahrar al-Sham Movement, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and several US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups.

Ahrar al-Sham fighters likely surrendered because they refuse the hostile acts of Ahrar al-Sham and its allies in the northern Homs countryside. Many pro-government activists believe that these hostile acts may force the SAA and its allies to launch a military operation to secure the northern Homs countryside, that has been besieged for the last 3 years.

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