A convoy of busses arrived Saturday evening outside two government-held villages in north-western Syria to shuttle locals out of the area in a quid-pro-quo move ahead of the resumption of evacuation of civilians and fighters from the rebel enclave of eastern Aleppo.
Some 25 busses arrived at barricades outside the Shiite villages of Foua and Kefraya, the first of two convoys that were to evacuate some 1,500 injured people, women and children, a Syrian military source said.
Meanwhile, thousands of civilians and rebel fighters in eastern Aleppo were awaiting news of the resumption of evacuations from the devastated enclave under a deal brokered by Russia and Turkey.
The evacuations from Aleppo, where government forces have overrun almost all the rebel enclave in recent weeks, came to an abrupt halt on their second day on Friday, apparently after elements on the government side insisted on the evacuations from Foua and Kefraya in return.
Preparations were under way inside the two villages, in Syria's north-western province of Idlib, to evacuate the wounded and sick, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights - a monitoring group - and government sources said.
Some 20,000 people are estimated to be living under a rebel-imposed siege in the villages.
The evacuation there will take place simultaneously with another, of about 200 people, from the besieged rebel-held towns of Madaya and al-Zabadani near the border with Lebanon, the military source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Over 25,000 people are estimated to be living in Madaya and al-Zabdani, which have been under siege by government forces and allies from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement.
Thousands are still trapped inside eastern Aleppo, which has been besieged by government forces since July, according to aid groups.
