Syrian regime forces on Monday ousted ISIS militants from their last pocket in the Yarmuk camp south of Damascus, bringing the entire capital and its suburbs under their full control for the first time since 2012.
The announcement came few hours after the last ISIS militants were evacuated from southern Damascus to the Syrian Desert in a Russian-sponsored withdrawal deal reached following weeks of fierce battles.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed Monday that about 1,600 people, including hundreds of ISIS gunmen, left the area Saturday and Sunday aboard 32 buses, heading toward the desert in the east of the country.
“Regime forces start sweeping the remainder of Yarmuk Camp in the southern part of the capital Damascus, and parts of al-Tadamon neighborhood, which was under ISIS control,” the Observatory said.
“The capital in now free of military operations for the first time in nearly 7 years,” the war monitor said.
Media outlets affiliated to the Syrian regime avoided on Monday mentioning any deal between the extremists and regime forces.
In a statement, the Syrian army announced that “Damascus, its outskirts and surrounding towns are completely secure.”
A military source close to the regime told AFP the agreement had been reached through negotiations with the regime and its ally Russia.
"They left in small batches at night," the source said about the ISIS militants.
Director of the Syrian Observatory Rami Abdul Rahman told Asharq Al-Awsat that ISIS members were evacuated to the Humaima area and other towns located north and east of al-Sukhnah, about 70km northeast of the ancient city of Palmyra.
However, Abdul-Rahman al-Hajj, an expert in terrorist groups, said that the majority of evacuated militants were taken to the countryside of Deir Ezzor, near al-Bukamal.
