The regime forces and Hezbollah retake control over the whole Syrian – Lebanese borders except for several kilometers following the moving of busses of Qalamoun towards Deir Ezzor

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the busses carrying members of the “Islamic State”  organization and their families started to move from Sheikh Ali crossing area in Jurud Qara in the western Qalamoun, at the Syrian-Lebanese border, heading towards the province of Deir Ezzor, most of which are controlled by the “Islamic State” organization, where the busses have moved after they were gathered for hours in Jurud Qalamoun, and this came to start the implementation of the 2nd step of the agreement, after the organization handed over bodies they had in Jourod of Western Qalamoun, and by this exit of the organization from the area, the regime forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah would control th whole Syrian – Lebanese border, with the exception of several kilometers in the southwestern Rif Diamshq from the area opposite to Shab’a Farms.

The SOHR published hours ago that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that about 30 buses and ambulances arrived in the Western Qalamoun, in conjunction with preparations which are carrying out by ISIS in the barren mountains of the Western Qalamoun, in order to start applying the agreement which provides for handing over the dead bodies of the Lebanese Hezbollah of which the organization has, in return for allowing the “Islamic state” organization to move to Deir Ezzor Province, where the organization controls most of it, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that preparations for applying the agreement of the barren mountains of the Western Qalamoun between the Lebanese Hezbollah and ISIS, and reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that it’s expected that the process of transferring hundreds of members of the “Islamic State” organization and their families, will start during the next hours, to Deir Ezzor province where the organization controls most of it, in return for handing over the dead bodies of the Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday 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 thousand people, including hundreds of members and fighters of Hayaat Tahrir Al-Sham along with their families, arrived.