Syrian rebels to surrender town to Assad's forces

The besieged Syrian town of Darayya, a symbol of the rebellion against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, is to be taken over by government forces after the last rebel fighters agreed to hand over their weapons and leave.

The surrender follows weeks of intense bombardment, which activists claim included napalm attacks.

The evacuation will be carried out in stages, with fighters leaving for opposition-controlled areas. The fate of the few thousand civilians who have endured years of fighting and deprivation is still unclear, though.

“The Assad regime and the armed groups in Darayya agreed on a ceasefire as an interlude to a settlement that includes evacuating civilians as of tomorrow, Friday,” a member of the local council is cited saying by the Guardian.

Families reportedly fear being forced to separate, and many of the people left in the city are worried of being sent to jail for their activism in Darayya.

“The civilians are forced mainly to go to the regime-held areas. It is said that the families of the fighters can go with them, but nothing is confirmed yet. Tomorrow, when they come to take the first group of civilians, we will know further details,” the council member added.