Israeli fighter jets bombed areas near the Syrian capital Damascus late Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

&quot;Israeli planes targeted the Jamaraya region near Damascus including a scientific research centre and warehouses where weapons and ammunition of the regime and its allies were stocked,&quot; Rami Abdel Rahmane, director of the Britain-based monitor&nbsp;said.&nbsp;

The exact target was not immediately identified.

An AFP correspondent in the capital also heard loud explosions.

&quot;Our air defences blocked an Israeli missile attack on one of our positions in Damascus province and downed three of the targets,&quot; Syrian state media said.

Israel has acknowledged carrying out airstrikes in Syria since the outbreak of the bloody war in the country six years ago to stop arms deliveries to Hezbollah forces.

Israel said in October it had attacked Syrian government artillery after fire from across the armistice line hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and warned it would step up such retaliation in the future. 
&nbsp;

The exact target was not immediately identified

Israeli fighter jets bombed areas near the Syrian capital Damascus late Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. "Israeli planes targeted the Jamaraya region near Damascus including a scientific research centre and warehouses where weapons and ammunition of the regime and its allies were stocked," Rami Abdel Rahmane, director of the Britain-based monitor said. The exact target was not immediately identified. An AFP correspondent in the capital also heard loud explosions. "Our air defences blocked an Israeli missile attack on one of our positions in Damascus province and downed three of the targets," Syrian state media said. Israel has acknowledged carrying out airstrikes in Syria since the outbreak of the bloody war in the country six years ago to stop arms deliveries to Hezbollah forces. Israel said in October it had attacked Syrian government artillery after fire from across the armistice line hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and warned it would step up such retaliation in the future.

'Israeli airstrikes' near Damascus: Monitor

Israel fired surface-to-surface missiles at a military base near the Syrian city of al-Qiswa, in the southwest region of Damascus, reports said on Saturday.&nbsp;

The warplanes targeted an ammunition installation which belonged to the Syrian army and destroyed the arms depot. Media reports also say that the target was a military base that Iran had been forming.&nbsp;

Reports say that five missiles were fired out of which two were intercepted - loud explosions were heard and &#39;material losses&#39; were reported at the base.&nbsp;

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Smoke rises at the Gaza Strip following an Israeli strike, as seen from the Israeli side of the border (Reuters)
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The attack happened just three weeks following BBC&#39;s report stating that Iran had been creating a permanent military base in Damascus.&nbsp;

Israel had earlier performed airstrikes in Syrian territory, either claiming to be targeting the militant group Hezbollah or firing back in response to stray projectiles that sometimes cross the border into the Israeli-occupied side of the Golan Heights.

According to the Syrian Observatory, the attack took place near El-Kiswah, a few miles south of Damascus

Israel fired surface-to-surface missiles at a military base near the Syrian city of al-Qiswa, in the southwest region of Damascus, reports said on Saturday. The warplanes targeted an ammunition installation which belonged to the Syrian army and destroyed the arms depot. Media reports also say that the target was a military base that Iran had been forming. Reports say that five missiles were fired out of which two were intercepted - loud explosions were heard and 'material losses' were reported at the base. Smoke rises at the Gaza Strip following an Israeli strike, as seen from the Israeli side of the border (Reuters) × The attack happened just three weeks following BBC's report stating that Iran had been creating a permanent military base in Damascus. Israel had earlier performed airstrikes in Syrian territory, either claiming to be targeting the militant group Hezbollah or firing back in response to stray projectiles that sometimes cross the border into the Israeli-occupied side of the Golan Heights.

Israeli missiles attack Syrian military base near Damascus, destroys arms depot

More than 1,500 rebels and their family members left the devastated district of Qaboun on the edge of the Syrian capital Damascus after more than two months of aerial strikes and artillery shelling, rebels and state media said on Sunday.

The rebels had agreed overnight to a secret evacuation deal after being cornered in a small pocket of Qaboun, which lies on the northeastern edge of Damascus.

The area has been largely reduced to rubble after being struck by hundreds of aerial strikes and missiles over a period of about 80 days.

The Syrian army had resumed its intensive bombardment of the district on Wednesday after a one-day ultimatum it gave the rebels mainly drawn from the area to surrender and agree to evacuate to rebel-held areas in northern Syria.&nbsp;

&quot;The regime has threatened to destroy what is left of Qaboun and will not accept anything but a military solution,&quot; Abdullah al Qabouni from the local council of the district told Reuters.

Hundreds of rebels and their families were evacuated this week from the adjacent Barzeh district after rebels there decided to lay down their arms and leave to rebel-held Idlib province.

Syrian state media said evacuations had almost been completed and the district was now securely in army hands.

Most of the residents of the once-bustling area, which had sheltered thousands of displaced people from other parts of Syria in the course of the conflict, fled in the last two months as the bombing escalated.

Rebels under pressure

The loss of Qaboun following Barzeh is another blow to rebels as they battle to keep a foothold in the capital and face government troops who are supported by Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias.&nbsp;

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has promoted the use of evacuation deals, along with what his government calls &quot;reconciliation&quot; accords, for rebel-held areas that surrender to the government as a way of reducing bloodshed.&nbsp;

But the United Nations has criticised both the use of siege tactics which precede such deals and the evacuations themselves as amounting to forcible displacement.

The Sunni Muslim rebels accuse the government of seeking to evict Sunni inhabitants in these areas in demographic changes they say would eventually pave the way for Iranian-backed Shi`ites who back Assad`s rule to take over their homes, a claim the authorities deny.

Army advances were made possible after tunnels between Qaboun and Barzeh were cut and the army isolated the areas from the rest of the main rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

The tightening of the siege in Qaboun and Barzeh, where tens of thousands of people lived, forced the hands of rebels to eventually agree to deals worked out elsewhere that force them to pull back to northern Syria.

&quot;They besieged us and even medicines for children or any supplies were no longer left ... and people died of hunger,&quot; said Ahmad Khatib, who was among those who left on Friday.&nbsp;

The densely populated rural Eastern Ghouta district of farms and towns has been besieged since 2013.

It remains the only major rebel bastion near Damascus and the fall of Qaboun and Barzeh have removed a main line of defence that protected it, rebels say.

(Reuters)

Syrian state media said evacuations had almost been completed and the district was now securely in army hands.

More than 1,500 rebels and their family members left the devastated district of Qaboun on the edge of the Syrian capital Damascus after more than two months of aerial strikes and artillery shelling, rebels and state media said on Sunday. The rebels had agreed overnight to a secret evacuation deal after being cornered in a small pocket of Qaboun, which lies on the northeastern edge of Damascus. The area has been largely reduced to rubble after being struck by hundreds of aerial strikes and missiles over a period of about 80 days. The Syrian army had resumed its intensive bombardment of the district on Wednesday after a one-day ultimatum it gave the rebels mainly drawn from the area to surrender and agree to evacuate to rebel-held areas in northern Syria. "The regime has threatened to destroy what is left of Qaboun and will not accept anything but a military solution," Abdullah al Qabouni from the local council of the district told Reuters. Hundreds of rebels and their families were evacuated this week from the adjacent Barzeh district after rebels there decided to lay down their arms and leave to rebel-held Idlib province. Syrian state media said evacuations had almost been completed and the district was now securely in army hands. Most of the residents of the once-bustling area, which had sheltered thousands of displaced people from other parts of Syria in the course of the conflict, fled in the last two months as the bombing escalated. Rebels under pressure The loss of Qaboun following Barzeh is another blow to rebels as they battle to keep a foothold in the capital and face government troops who are supported by Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has promoted the use of evacuation deals, along with what his government calls "reconciliation" accords, for rebel-held areas that surrender to the government as a way of reducing bloodshed. But the United Nations has criticised both the use of siege tactics which precede such deals and the evacuations themselves as amounting to forcible displacement. The Sunni Muslim rebels accuse the government of seeking to evict Sunni inhabitants in these areas in demographic changes they say would eventually pave the way for Iranian-backed Shi`ites who back Assad`s rule to take over their homes, a claim the authorities deny. Army advances were made possible after tunnels between Qaboun and Barzeh were cut and the army isolated the areas from the rest of the main rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta. The tightening of the siege in Qaboun and Barzeh, where tens of thousands of people lived, forced the hands of rebels to eventually agree to deals worked out elsewhere that force them to pull back to northern Syria. "They besieged us and even medicines for children or any supplies were no longer left ... and people died of hunger," said Ahmad Khatib, who was among those who left on Friday. The densely populated rural Eastern Ghouta district of farms and towns has been besieged since 2013. It remains the only major rebel bastion near Damascus and the fall of Qaboun and Barzeh have removed a main line of defence that protected it, rebels say. (Reuters)

More than 1,500 rebels, families evacuate devastated Damascus district

Syria&#39;s government has reached a deal with rebels in the Qabun neighbourhood of Damascus for the evacuation of opposition fighters, Syrian state media and a monitor said on Saturday.

The deal comes after similar evacuations from neighbouring rebel-held Damascus districts and a government advance in Qabun.

&quot;Military operations halted in Qabun district this afternoon after the terrorist organisations announced their acceptance of a deal and the departure of their remaining members from the neighbourhood,&quot; state news agency SANA reported on Saturday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor also reported that rebels in the district had agreed a deal to evacuate, but said it was not yet clear where the fighters would go.

Earlier talks on a deal to allow the regime to retake the neighbourhood in exchange for safe passage of opposition fighters faltered over the rebels` destination.

Some had wanted to go to Eastern Ghouta, an opposition stronghold outside Damascus city, instead of Idlib province, a rebel-held area in northwest Syria.

Earlier Saturday, government forces had advanced inside Qabun, expanding their control to 80 percent of the district, the Britain-based Observatory said.

The Qabun agreement comes after similar deals to evacuate neighbouring Barzeh and Tishrin districts.

On Friday, upwards of 1,200 people, more than half of them rebels, left Barzeh and Tishrin for Idlib.

The evacuation of Barzeh began on Monday and continued Friday, when departures from Tishrin began after an agreement was reached.

The evacuations are the latest in a string of similar deals between the government and rebels under which opposition fighters are granted safe passage in exchange for surrendering. 
The government touts the deals as the best way to end the six-year war, but rebels say they are forced into the agreements by regime fire and siege.

More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

(AFP)

Syria's government has reached a deal with rebels in the Qabun neighbourhood of Damascus for the evacuation of opposition fighters

Syria's government has reached a deal with rebels in the Qabun neighbourhood of Damascus for the evacuation of opposition fighters, Syrian state media and a monitor said on Saturday. The deal comes after similar evacuations from neighbouring rebel-held Damascus districts and a government advance in Qabun. "Military operations halted in Qabun district this afternoon after the terrorist organisations announced their acceptance of a deal and the departure of their remaining members from the neighbourhood," state news agency SANA reported on Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor also reported that rebels in the district had agreed a deal to evacuate, but said it was not yet clear where the fighters would go. Earlier talks on a deal to allow the regime to retake the neighbourhood in exchange for safe passage of opposition fighters faltered over the rebels` destination. Some had wanted to go to Eastern Ghouta, an opposition stronghold outside Damascus city, instead of Idlib province, a rebel-held area in northwest Syria. Earlier Saturday, government forces had advanced inside Qabun, expanding their control to 80 percent of the district, the Britain-based Observatory said. The Qabun agreement comes after similar deals to evacuate neighbouring Barzeh and Tishrin districts. On Friday, upwards of 1,200 people, more than half of them rebels, left Barzeh and Tishrin for Idlib. The evacuation of Barzeh began on Monday and continued Friday, when departures from Tishrin began after an agreement was reached. The evacuations are the latest in a string of similar deals between the government and rebels under which opposition fighters are granted safe passage in exchange for surrendering. The government touts the deals as the best way to end the six-year war, but rebels say they are forced into the agreements by regime fire and siege. More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. (AFP)

Deal reached to evacuate rebel-held Damascus district: State media

For nearly four years, food, fuel and medicine have travelled across frontlines into the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus through a network of underground tunnels.&nbsp;

But an army offensive near the Syrian capital has shut the routes into the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, causing supplies to dwindle and prices to rocket, residents say.&nbsp;

&quot;The price of fuel went up like crazy,&quot; said Adnan, 30, the head of a local aid group that distributes food.

A cooking gas canister now costs 50,000 Syrian pounds, nearly four times its price before the attack and almost 20 times the state-regulated price in nearby Damascus.&nbsp;

Adnan, whose aid group buys rice, lentils and other goods that arrive via the tunnels, said the shutdown and steep price hikes had triggered rising despair in the suburbs.&nbsp;

As the army tightens the noose, fighters and civilians are bracing for a full-blown assault and bitter shortages that could last through the winter.

&quot;The operation aims to strangle the Ghouta ... by closing off the crossings and tunnels,&quot; Hamza Birqdar, military spokesman for the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, told Reuters.

&quot;Trade through the tunnels has completely stopped.&quot;&nbsp;

Government forces have blockaded Eastern Ghouta, a densely populated pocket of satellite towns and farms, since 2013. It remains the only major rebel bastion near Damascus, though it has shrunk by almost half over the past year.&nbsp;

President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government has been steadily defeating pockets of armed rebellion near the capital, with the help of Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias.

It ultimately aims to seize the Ghouta, pushing fighters to accept state rule or leave for rebel territory in the north, in a type of negotiated withdrawal that has helped shore up its rule over Syria&#39;s main urban centres.

Tunnel crackdown

Heavy fighting and air strikes have rocked the districts that stand between Damascus and Eastern Ghouta, severing smuggling routes that provided a lifeline for around 300,000 people in the besieged suburbs.

The army assault entered a higher gear in recent months in the districts of Barzeh and Qaboun, at the capital&#39;s eastern edges, which abruptly ended a local truce that had been in place with rebels there since 2014.&nbsp;

Their relative calm and location had turned them into a transit point where traders brought supplies from the capital and shuttled them underground into the opposition enclave. Government forces have now swept into most of the two districts.&nbsp;

The siege generated a black market economy and profiteers who traded across frontlines, says an activist who has smuggled medicine through one of the tunnels.

Goods prices were ramped up by payments to checkpoints in government-held areas and rebels that control the tunnels, the activist and other residents said.&nbsp;

Syrian officials were not available for comment on such allegations.&nbsp;

Syrian state media says Ghouta militants dug tunnels hundreds of metres long to move weapons and ambush army positions. The tunnels have been a target of army operations, with several blown up in recent months, it has said.&nbsp;

The wide array of rebels - including hardline jihadists and other groups supported by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies - have been on the back-foot across Syria.&nbsp;

In Eastern Ghouta, a bout of renewed rebel infighting, after a rebel attack at the fringes of Damascus quickly fizzled out in March, could play into the government&#39;s hands.&nbsp;

Birqdar said rebels faced &quot;heavy shelling, air strikes, and incoming tanks&quot; every day. &quot;We must prepare for every scenario that could happen on the battlefield,&quot; he said.

&quot;We are fully ready to negotiate over stopping the bloodshed by the regime, but will not accept any talks that lead to surrender.&quot; He ruled out a local evacuation deal.

The government says such deals have succeeded where UN-based peace talks failed. The opposition describes it as a strategy of forced displacement after years of siege - a method of warfare the United Nations has condemned as a war crime.

When winter comes

The UN&nbsp;has warned of impending starvation if aid does not reach Eastern Ghouta, where international deliveries have long been erratic and obstructed. A convoy that entered last week, for the first time in months, carried food and supplies for just about 10 per cent of the estimated population.&nbsp;

&quot;People have rushed to the markets to stock up,&quot; said Adnan. &quot;Because they have bitter memories of 2013,&quot; when their towns first came under siege.&nbsp;

Merchants inside the Ghouta had filled up large warehouses that would last months, and residents would harvest crops in the area&#39;s remaining farmland in the summer, he said. &quot;Things will get worse when winter comes.&quot;&nbsp;

The Wafideen crossing at the outskirts, where checkpoints allowed food to enter, has also been restricted since February, Adnan and others said.&nbsp;

One resident said rebel fighters also ran their own hidden routes through which they had moved unnoticed or smuggled arms.

Medics relied on the tunnels for antibiotics, anaesthetics, and other supplies, said Abu Ibrahim Baker, a surgeon in Eastern Ghouta. Hospitals would be &quot;able to hold out, God willing, but not for very long,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

Heavy fighting and air strikes have rocked the districts that stand between Damascus and Eastern Ghouta, severing smuggling routes that provided a lifeline for around 300,000 people in the besieged suburbs.

For nearly four years, food, fuel and medicine have travelled across frontlines into the besieged eastern suburbs of Damascus through a network of underground tunnels. But an army offensive near the Syrian capital has shut the routes into the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, causing supplies to dwindle and prices to rocket, residents say. "The price of fuel went up like crazy," said Adnan, 30, the head of a local aid group that distributes food. A cooking gas canister now costs 50,000 Syrian pounds, nearly four times its price before the attack and almost 20 times the state-regulated price in nearby Damascus. Adnan, whose aid group buys rice, lentils and other goods that arrive via the tunnels, said the shutdown and steep price hikes had triggered rising despair in the suburbs. As the army tightens the noose, fighters and civilians are bracing for a full-blown assault and bitter shortages that could last through the winter. "The operation aims to strangle the Ghouta ... by closing off the crossings and tunnels," Hamza Birqdar, military spokesman for the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, told Reuters. "Trade through the tunnels has completely stopped." Government forces have blockaded Eastern Ghouta, a densely populated pocket of satellite towns and farms, since 2013. It remains the only major rebel bastion near Damascus, though it has shrunk by almost half over the past year. President Bashar al-Assad's government has been steadily defeating pockets of armed rebellion near the capital, with the help of Russian air power and Iranian-backed militias. It ultimately aims to seize the Ghouta, pushing fighters to accept state rule or leave for rebel territory in the north, in a type of negotiated withdrawal that has helped shore up its rule over Syria's main urban centres. Tunnel crackdown Heavy fighting and air strikes have rocked the districts that stand between Damascus and Eastern Ghouta, severing smuggling routes that provided a lifeline for around 300,000 people in the besieged suburbs. The army assault entered a higher gear in recent months in the districts of Barzeh and Qaboun, at the capital's eastern edges, which abruptly ended a local truce that had been in place with rebels there since 2014. Their relative calm and location had turned them into a transit point where traders brought supplies from the capital and shuttled them underground into the opposition enclave. Government forces have now swept into most of the two districts. The siege generated a black market economy and profiteers who traded across frontlines, says an activist who has smuggled medicine through one of the tunnels. Goods prices were ramped up by payments to checkpoints in government-held areas and rebels that control the tunnels, the activist and other residents said. Syrian officials were not available for comment on such allegations. Syrian state media says Ghouta militants dug tunnels hundreds of metres long to move weapons and ambush army positions. The tunnels have been a target of army operations, with several blown up in recent months, it has said. The wide array of rebels - including hardline jihadists and other groups supported by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies - have been on the back-foot across Syria. In Eastern Ghouta, a bout of renewed rebel infighting, after a rebel attack at the fringes of Damascus quickly fizzled out in March, could play into the government's hands. Birqdar said rebels faced "heavy shelling, air strikes, and incoming tanks" every day. "We must prepare for every scenario that could happen on the battlefield," he said. "We are fully ready to negotiate over stopping the bloodshed by the regime, but will not accept any talks that lead to surrender." He ruled out a local evacuation deal. The government says such deals have succeeded where UN-based peace talks failed. The opposition describes it as a strategy of forced displacement after years of siege - a method of warfare the United Nations has condemned as a war crime. When winter comes The UN has warned of impending starvation if aid does not reach Eastern Ghouta, where international deliveries have long been erratic and obstructed. A convoy that entered last week, for the first time in months, carried food and supplies for just about 10 per cent of the estimated population. "People have rushed to the markets to stock up," said Adnan. "Because they have bitter memories of 2013," when their towns first came under siege. Merchants inside the Ghouta had filled up large warehouses that would last months, and residents would harvest crops in the area's remaining farmland in the summer, he said. "Things will get worse when winter comes." The Wafideen crossing at the outskirts, where checkpoints allowed food to enter, has also been restricted since February, Adnan and others said. One resident said rebel fighters also ran their own hidden routes through which they had moved unnoticed or smuggled arms. Medics relied on the tunnels for antibiotics, anaesthetics, and other supplies, said Abu Ibrahim Baker, a surgeon in Eastern Ghouta. Hospitals would be "able to hold out, God willing, but not for very long," he said. (Reuters)

With tunnel lifeline cut, pressure mounts on Syrian rebel enclave

Syrian rebels and their families began evacuating from a district of Damascus for the first time on Monday, bringing the government closer to recapturing all of the capital.

The evacuation began days after regime backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey signed a deal to implement &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; where the government and opposition will halt hostilities.

Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Monday rejected any role for the United Nations or international forces in monitoring the zones.

The deal to evacuate Barzeh district mirrors similar agreements for opposition-held territory elsewhere, allowing fighters safe passage in exchange for surrender.

State television cited the Damascus provincial governor as saying a first wave of 1,022 people, including 568 fighters, had left Barzeh on Monday.

The channel said the evacuation would take five days, but that rebels who chose to stay could do so if they registered with the government.

Those leaving will head to the rebel-held province of Idlib, in Syria&#39;s northwest.

The evacuation deal was struck late Sunday night, and dozens of people gathered in Barzeh from Monday morning.

An AFP photographer saw rebel fighters carrying light weapons looking on as children and women in brightly-coloured headscarves pulled shabby suitcases and duffel bags.

A source from the pro-government National Defence Forces said rebel fighters would be allowed to take their &quot;personal weapons&quot; with them.

Negotiations were ongoing for a similar deal in the district of Qabun, in Damascus&#39;s northeast, which forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been shelling heavily for weeks.

&#39;De-escalation&#39; zones

&quot;We are working on Qabun and there is the Yarmuk camp, where talks are underway for the evacuation of armed groups,&quot; said Muallem.

Assad&#39;s government controls all but six districts of Damascus: Barzeh, Qabun, Jobar, Tishreen, Tadamun, and Yarmuk camp.

The evacuation is a first in the capital, but the Barzeh agreement follows a model of &quot;reconciliation deals&quot; implemented across the country.

The government touts such deals as the best way to end the six-year conflict, which erupted in March 2011 with anti-regime protests and has killed more than 320,000 people.

But the opposition says it is forced into them by heavy government bombardment and siege tactics.

Monday&#39;s evacuation began as battlefronts quietened in Syrian territory included in four &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; agreed by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

The agreement, inked in the Kazakh capital Astana, excludes Damascus city.

It mandates an end to hostilities, including air strikes, in specified zones for six months.

The deal came into effect on midnight Friday, with fighting subsiding, but the co-sponsors have until June 4 to submit maps finalising the borders of the zones.

It calls for continued fighting against the Islamic State group, which is largely absent from the areas where the zones will be implemented, as well as former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front.

Fateh al-Sham has a powerful presence particularly in Idlib province, which is included in the zones, where it is allied with other opposition groups.

Russian draft resolution

The deal says the &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; would be bordered by security areas with checkpoints and observation centres &quot;ensured by the forces of the guarantors by consensus&quot;, but that &quot;third-party&quot; monitors could also be deployed.

But on Monday, Muallem rejected UN or international monitors.

&quot;We do not accept a role for the United Nations or international forces to monitor the agreement,&quot; he said.

He added there could be a role &quot;as the Russian guarantor has said, for military police&quot;, but it was unclear if he was referring to Syrian or foreign units.

Russia meanwhile said it had tabled a draft UN Security Council resolution backing the safe zone deal.

A source at the UN told Russia&#39;s Interfax news agency that &quot;a vote on the draft will take place possibly this week&quot;.

Western diplomats expressed reservations, saying it was premature to endorse the Astana deal until final arrangements for the proposed &quot;de-escalation zones&quot; were agreed.

The agreement has been received with caution by Washington, with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis saying it was being studied.

&quot;Does this proposal have a hope for ending this war? We&#39;ll have to look at it. The devil is always in the details, so we are going to have to look at the details,&quot; he said.

Russia has said warplanes belonging to the US-led coalition fighting IS will be barred from operating in the four &quot;de-escalation zones&quot;.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are set to discuss the agreement when they meet on Wednesday in Washington.

(AFP)

A first wave of 1,022 people, including 568 fighters, reportedly left Damascus' Barzeh on Monday.

Syrian rebels and their families began evacuating from a district of Damascus for the first time on Monday, bringing the government closer to recapturing all of the capital. The evacuation began days after regime backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey signed a deal to implement "de-escalation zones" where the government and opposition will halt hostilities. Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on Monday rejected any role for the United Nations or international forces in monitoring the zones. The deal to evacuate Barzeh district mirrors similar agreements for opposition-held territory elsewhere, allowing fighters safe passage in exchange for surrender. State television cited the Damascus provincial governor as saying a first wave of 1,022 people, including 568 fighters, had left Barzeh on Monday. The channel said the evacuation would take five days, but that rebels who chose to stay could do so if they registered with the government. Those leaving will head to the rebel-held province of Idlib, in Syria's northwest. The evacuation deal was struck late Sunday night, and dozens of people gathered in Barzeh from Monday morning. An AFP photographer saw rebel fighters carrying light weapons looking on as children and women in brightly-coloured headscarves pulled shabby suitcases and duffel bags. A source from the pro-government National Defence Forces said rebel fighters would be allowed to take their "personal weapons" with them. Negotiations were ongoing for a similar deal in the district of Qabun, in Damascus's northeast, which forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been shelling heavily for weeks. 'De-escalation' zones "We are working on Qabun and there is the Yarmuk camp, where talks are underway for the evacuation of armed groups," said Muallem. Assad's government controls all but six districts of Damascus: Barzeh, Qabun, Jobar, Tishreen, Tadamun, and Yarmuk camp. The evacuation is a first in the capital, but the Barzeh agreement follows a model of "reconciliation deals" implemented across the country. The government touts such deals as the best way to end the six-year conflict, which erupted in March 2011 with anti-regime protests and has killed more than 320,000 people. But the opposition says it is forced into them by heavy government bombardment and siege tactics. Monday's evacuation began as battlefronts quietened in Syrian territory included in four "de-escalation zones" agreed by Russia, Iran and Turkey. The agreement, inked in the Kazakh capital Astana, excludes Damascus city. It mandates an end to hostilities, including air strikes, in specified zones for six months. The deal came into effect on midnight Friday, with fighting subsiding, but the co-sponsors have until June 4 to submit maps finalising the borders of the zones. It calls for continued fighting against the Islamic State group, which is largely absent from the areas where the zones will be implemented, as well as former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. Fateh al-Sham has a powerful presence particularly in Idlib province, which is included in the zones, where it is allied with other opposition groups. Russian draft resolution The deal says the "de-escalation zones" would be bordered by security areas with checkpoints and observation centres "ensured by the forces of the guarantors by consensus", but that "third-party" monitors could also be deployed. But on Monday, Muallem rejected UN or international monitors. "We do not accept a role for the United Nations or international forces to monitor the agreement," he said. He added there could be a role "as the Russian guarantor has said, for military police", but it was unclear if he was referring to Syrian or foreign units. Russia meanwhile said it had tabled a draft UN Security Council resolution backing the safe zone deal. A source at the UN told Russia's Interfax news agency that "a vote on the draft will take place possibly this week". Western diplomats expressed reservations, saying it was premature to endorse the Astana deal until final arrangements for the proposed "de-escalation zones" were agreed. The agreement has been received with caution by Washington, with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis saying it was being studied. "Does this proposal have a hope for ending this war? We'll have to look at it. The devil is always in the details, so we are going to have to look at the details," he said. Russia has said warplanes belonging to the US-led coalition fighting IS will be barred from operating in the four "de-escalation zones". US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are set to discuss the agreement when they meet on Wednesday in Washington. (AFP)

Syria: First evacuations from Damascus rebel district

AFP reported that police say that 25 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack at a courthouse in Damascus.

The attack targeted the Palace of Justice in central Damascus near the Old City, Reuters reported. State news agency SANA said several others were wounded in addition to the initial death toll of 25. The bomber set off his explosive device at 1:20pm(1120 GMT) as the police tried to search him and stop him from entering the building, state television cited the Damascus police chief as saying.&nbsp;

The explosion hit the courthouse &quot;at a time when the area is crowded&quot; with lawyers, judges and civilians, harming a large number of people, Ahmed al-Sayyid, a senior state legal official told state-run al-Ikhbariya TV.

The attack comes close on the heels of<a href="http://The toll from twin bombings targeting Shiite pilgrims in the centre of Damascus has risen to 74 dead, a monitor said on Sunday." target="_blank"> twin&nbsp;bombings</a>&nbsp;that took place last&nbsp;Saturday in Damascus, which killed 74. The double suicide attack in Damascus was claimed by an alliance of jihadist groups known as Tahrir al-Sham.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

State media reported that?the attacker targeted the Palace of Justice, a courthouse in central Damascus

AFP reported that police say that 25 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack at a courthouse in Damascus. The attack targeted the Palace of Justice in central Damascus near the Old City, Reuters reported. State news agency SANA said several others were wounded in addition to the initial death toll of 25. The bomber set off his explosive device at 1:20pm(1120 GMT) as the police tried to search him and stop him from entering the building, state television cited the Damascus police chief as saying. The explosion hit the courthouse "at a time when the area is crowded" with lawyers, judges and civilians, harming a large number of people, Ahmed al-Sayyid, a senior state legal official told state-run al-Ikhbariya TV. The attack comes close on the heels of twin bombings that took place last Saturday in Damascus, which killed 74. The double suicide attack in Damascus was claimed by an alliance of jihadist groups known as Tahrir al-Sham. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Syria courthouse suicide bomb attack: At least 25 dead, police say

A car bomb blast yesterday hit an upmarket area of Damascus housing several government buildings, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, saying there were &quot;several wounded&quot;. 
 
The explosion took place in front of a 10-storey building in the Kafar Sousse district in the southwest of the war-torn country`s capital, an AFP journalist at the scene said. 
 
Debris littered the ground, including pieces of metal apparently from the vehicle used in the blast, which the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said caused casualties, without giving details. 
 
Since Syria`s civil war erupted numerous attacks have hit Damascus, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, though they have become less frequent in recent years. 
 
Kafar Sousse, home to the foreign ministry and the council of ministers, was the scene of some of the first major attacks in the Syrian conflict, when 44 people were killed and 166 wounded in two suicide bombings in December 2011. 
 
Those attacks, targeting intelligence and military security buildings, were blamed by the opposition on the government, who blamed Al-Qaeda. 
 
The district was also where Lebanese Hezbollah commander Imad Mughnieh was assassinated in 2008. 
 
Syria`s civil war has cost more than 280,000 lives and sent more than half the country`s population fleeing abroad. 
 
The increasingly complex conflict has drawn in regional and international powers and seen the rise of jihadist groups including the Islamic State. 
 
(AFP)

The bomb hit Kafar Sousse area, southwest of the capital. A Britain-based human rights group reported casualties without giving details

A car bomb blast yesterday hit an upmarket area of Damascus housing several government buildings, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, saying there were "several wounded". The explosion took place in front of a 10-storey building in the Kafar Sousse district in the southwest of the war-torn country`s capital, an AFP journalist at the scene said. Debris littered the ground, including pieces of metal apparently from the vehicle used in the blast, which the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said caused casualties, without giving details. Since Syria`s civil war erupted numerous attacks have hit Damascus, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad, though they have become less frequent in recent years. Kafar Sousse, home to the foreign ministry and the council of ministers, was the scene of some of the first major attacks in the Syrian conflict, when 44 people were killed and 166 wounded in two suicide bombings in December 2011. Those attacks, targeting intelligence and military security buildings, were blamed by the opposition on the government, who blamed Al-Qaeda. The district was also where Lebanese Hezbollah commander Imad Mughnieh was assassinated in 2008. Syria`s civil war has cost more than 280,000 lives and sent more than half the country`s population fleeing abroad. The increasingly complex conflict has drawn in regional and international powers and seen the rise of jihadist groups including the Islamic State. (AFP)

Car bomb blast wounds several in Damascus

Two medics were among at least 20 people killed on Saturday in Syrian government shelling of a rebel-held town northeast of the capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.&nbsp; 
 
The bombardment struck the town of Jayrud, 60 kilometres (35 miles) from Damascus, where the army says Islamist rebels killed a pilot they captured after he was forced to eject on Friday.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP) &nbsp;

The bombardment struck the town of Jayrud, 60 kilometres from Damascus

Two medics were among at least 20 people killed on Saturday in Syrian government shelling of a rebel-held town northeast of the capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The bombardment struck the town of Jayrud, 60 kilometres (35 miles) from Damascus, where the army says Islamist rebels killed a pilot they captured after he was forced to eject on Friday. (AFP)

Syria regime shelling leaves 20 dead, including 2 medics

Intensive Syrian air strikes today&nbsp;killed at least 30 civilians in a Damascan suburb town northeast of the city a day after the reported execution of a Syrian air force pilot, a monitor and rebels said.

They said the raids targeted a medical centre, a school and a residential area in Jayrud town, a heavily populated area that struck a local truce with the army that had spared it the heavy bombing on other rebel held areas. It had made it a sanctuary for thousands of civilians fleeing heavy battles nearby.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said scores were also injured in the aerial strikes as well as shelling from army posts in the area.

A rebel spokesman said the strikes seemed to be in revenge for the killing of a Syrian air force pilot who parachuted down near the town after his plane crashed on Friday.

&quot;The strikes against civilians are in retaliation against the execution of the pilot by Nusra Front,&quot; said Said Seif al Qalamoni, from the Free Syrian Army&#39;s (FSA) Shahid Ahmad Abdo brigade, that operates in Jayrud, alongside the al Qaeda&#39;s Nusra Front and other groups.

Rebels in a joint operations room targetted a main army base in the region with Russian-made surface to surface missiles after the aerial strikes, al Qalamoni said.

Syrian state media said the crash was due to a technical fault and the pilot had ejected, while the rebel group Jaish al-Islam said it had shot down the plane, but did not say how.

Jaish al Islam said the pilot was arrested and was subsequently killed by a fighter from the Nusra Front while being held at a joint command centre.

The army had warned of a strong response after the execution of the pilot was reported shortly after he was shown on a rebel video circulated on social media giving details of his mission.

Separately, Russian and Syrian planes intensified their bombing on Saturday of a strategic rebel-held area of Aleppo that is near the only route into opposition-held parts of the northern city. If the Malah area were to fall to the army and its allies they would succeed in laying siege to areas where over 400,000 people live under rebel control. 
 
(Reuters)

A rebel spokesman said the strikes were in retaliation for yesterday's execution of the Syrian air force pilot by Nusra Front

Intensive Syrian air strikes today killed at least 30 civilians in a Damascan suburb town northeast of the city a day after the reported execution of a Syrian air force pilot, a monitor and rebels said. They said the raids targeted a medical centre, a school and a residential area in Jayrud town, a heavily populated area that struck a local truce with the army that had spared it the heavy bombing on other rebel held areas. It had made it a sanctuary for thousands of civilians fleeing heavy battles nearby. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said scores were also injured in the aerial strikes as well as shelling from army posts in the area. A rebel spokesman said the strikes seemed to be in revenge for the killing of a Syrian air force pilot who parachuted down near the town after his plane crashed on Friday. "The strikes against civilians are in retaliation against the execution of the pilot by Nusra Front," said Said Seif al Qalamoni, from the Free Syrian Army's (FSA) Shahid Ahmad Abdo brigade, that operates in Jayrud, alongside the al Qaeda's Nusra Front and other groups. Rebels in a joint operations room targetted a main army base in the region with Russian-made surface to surface missiles after the aerial strikes, al Qalamoni said. Syrian state media said the crash was due to a technical fault and the pilot had ejected, while the rebel group Jaish al-Islam said it had shot down the plane, but did not say how. Jaish al Islam said the pilot was arrested and was subsequently killed by a fighter from the Nusra Front while being held at a joint command centre. The army had warned of a strong response after the execution of the pilot was reported shortly after he was shown on a rebel video circulated on social media giving details of his mission. Separately, Russian and Syrian planes intensified their bombing on Saturday of a strategic rebel-held area of Aleppo that is near the only route into opposition-held parts of the northern city. If the Malah area were to fall to the army and its allies they would succeed in laying siege to areas where over 400,000 people live under rebel control. (Reuters)

At least 30 killed in Syrian air strikes in Damascas suburb

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for car and suicide bomb blasts that killed at least eight people and injured scores in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus today, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said. 
 
The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria&#39;s holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq who are on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the country&#39;s five-year-old civil war.

Amaq news agency said that in today&#39;s attack, militants detonated an explosives-laden car in Sayeda Zeinab while two suicide bombers blew themselves up nearby. Syrian state media showed footage of wide-scale damage in a busy marketplace.

A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon&#39;s powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad&#39;s government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria.

They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria's holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for car and suicide bomb blasts that killed at least eight people and injured scores in a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus today, the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said. The Sayeda Zeinab suburb contains Syria's holiest Shiite shrine and is a base for Shiite militant groups from Lebanon and Iraq who are on the side of President Bashar al-Assad in the country's five-year-old civil war. Amaq news agency said that in today's attack, militants detonated an explosives-laden car in Sayeda Zeinab while two suicide bombers blew themselves up nearby. Syrian state media showed footage of wide-scale damage in a busy marketplace. A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon's powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad's government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

Islamic State claims responsibility for bombings near Damascus Shiite shrine

At least eight people were killed and scores wounded in twin suicide and car bomb blasts today in a Damascus suburb that contains Syria&#39;s holiest Shiite Muslim shrine, state television said. 
 
State media, which flashed the news, did not give further details about the bombings in the Sayeda Zeinab area, where at least three bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State militants have killed and injured scores of people this year. 
 
A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. 
 
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon&#39;s powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 
 
Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad&#39;s government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. 
 
They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

A Shiite religious cleric was quoted saying that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in main al-Taen street

At least eight people were killed and scores wounded in twin suicide and car bomb blasts today in a Damascus suburb that contains Syria's holiest Shiite Muslim shrine, state television said. State media, which flashed the news, did not give further details about the bombings in the Sayeda Zeinab area, where at least three bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State militants have killed and injured scores of people this year. A Shiite religious cleric said on the state-run Ikhbariyah TV channel that the car bomb blast was not far from the shrine area in the main al-Taen street. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, however, said the death toll was at least nine. The heavily garrisoned area is a well known stronghold of Lebanon's powerful Shiite Hezbollah group, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Thousands of Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militia recruits, who volunteer to fight against the Sunni rebel groups trying to bring down Assad's government, normally come to the area before being sent to frontlines across Syria. They say they come to Syria to defend the Sayeda Zeinab shrine from radical Sunni extremists.

Suicide, car bomb blasts hit Damascus suburb, at least 8 dead, says Syrian state media

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