300 MILITANTS RECONCILED WITH GOVERNMENT IN NORTHERN HOMS, 500 OTHERS WILL WITHDRAW

On May 23, more than 300 former fighters of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the newly liberated northern Homs countryside surrendered their personal weapons and signed a reconciliation agreement with the Damascus government, according to Syrian state TV. The source said that some of these fighters will join the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) while others will return to civilian life.

Meanwhile, the Syrian al-Watan newspaper revealed that the Damascus government had rejected to grant a similar reconciliation agreement to 500 militants in the northern Homs countryside due to several crimes they had committed over the past seven years. These 500 radical militants will be evacuated with their families to the northern city of Jarabulus in the upcoming days, according to al-Watan.

Under the reconciliation agreement which was reached on May 2, the Damascus government is supposed to pardon the former militants there within six months. The government is also supposed to allow those who can’t be pardoned to withdraw to the opposition-held areas in northern Syria during the same period.

Syrian pro-government activists believe that thousands of former FSA fighters in the northern Homs countryside will reconcile with the Damascus government in the upcoming months. More militants are also expected to leave the region.

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