Calm prevails again in the barrens of Qalamoun prior to the execution of the agreement reached between Hezbollah, the regime and ISIS along with preparations for handing over dead bodies and transferring ISIS members to Deir Ezzor

Al-Qalamoun barrens agreement restores control to the regime over most of the Syrian-Lebanese border area except for several kilometers in the southwestern part of Rif Dimashq

The SOHR learned that calm prevails in the fighting fronts between the regime forces and their allied militiamen backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah on one hand and ISIS on the other hand in the barrens of the Western Qalamoun, which are adjacent to the Syrian-Lebanese border located in the northwestern part of Rif Dimashq. Reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that calm started to prevail in Al-Qalamoun barrens this morning, the 27th of August 2017, following the agreement reached between Hezbollah, the regime forces and ISIS. The agreement provides for the cessation of hostilities and handing over the prisoners and the dead bodies of members of the Lebanese Hezbollah in exchange for allowing ISIS members to move to Deir Ezzor Province, which is mostly controlled by ISIS. The handing over of the dead bodies and the transfer of ISIS members along with their families to Deir Ezzor Province are expected to take place within the next few hours.

This agreement came after 12 days of targeting Al-Qalamoun barrens with shelling, military operations and raids. Once ISIS members move from Al-Qalamoun to Deir Ezzor, the regime forces would regain full control over the Syrian-Lebanese border except for the area opposite to Shab’a area, which is adjacent to the southwestern part of Rif Dimashq. The SOHR published on the 15th of August 2017 that tens of buses transporting civilians and fighters of Ahl Al-Sham Brigades and their families reached Al-Rahiba town in the eastern Qalamoun. The Convoy, which consisted of 40 buses and 14 Red Cross-affiliate Vehicles carrying at least 2000 people, including 300 fighters of Ahl Al-Sham Brigades along with their families, entered the town of Falita in the Syrian territories coming from Lebanese territories. The buses were heading to the area of Al-Rahiba in the Eastern Qalamoun. The Syrian Observatory learned that tens of families chose to go to the regime-controlled areas, while reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that the young men refrained from returning to the Syrian territories for fear of being recruited by the pro-regime Qalamoun Shield Forces. It is worth mentioning that this operation comes as part of the agreement, which was reached on the 3rd of August 2017, to evacuate the people from the Syrian barren hills of Falita and the Lebanese barren hills of Arsal in exchange for handing over the prisoners of the Lebanese Hezbollah who were held by Hayaat Tahrir Al-Sham in Idlib to which a convoy carrying at least 8 thousands people, including hundreds of members and fighters of Hayaat Tahrir Al-Sham along with their families, arrived.