Fighters from the Jaish al-Islam group will leave Douma to north Syria, possibly to the city of Jarablus, controlled by Turkish-backed rebels, a Syrian opposition source close to talks held between the group and Russia told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday.
Following tough negotiations held between both parties, Jaish al-Islam and Moscow reached a final deal to evacuate fighters and civilians from the city of Douma, the last rebel-held bastion in the Eastern Ghouta enclave, opening the way for regime forces to capture the entire area.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the news, saying that a deal brokered by regime ally Russia would see fighters with the Jaish al-Islam faction leave Ghouta's main town of Douma for opposition-held territory in northern Syria.
Although no official statement was issued by the faction, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the deal “is not similar to the previous ones that involved Harasta, which was controlled by Harakat Ahrar al-Sham, or Jubar and Zamalka, which were controlled by Failaq al-Rahman.”
The sources confirmed that the deal was instead similar to the one reached in Qaboun and Barza, which stipulated the evacuation of fighters opposed to a deal reached with the Syrian regime, and their families to the north of Syria.
They added that fighters wishing to ink a deal with the regime would remain inside the city, acting as internal security forces. The fighters should also fly the flag of the Syrian regime above the buildings of public administrations.
“The first stage of the deal stipulates that opposition fighters hand over their heavy and medium weapons to regime forces. Later, fighters rejecting the deal would exit the area while the others stay inside the city with their light weapons,” the sources said, adding that Russia's military police would then be deployed inside Douma to take control of the town.
