In waiting for the approval of the Iraqi side to launch … the convoy of ISIS continues its waiting in Hmimeh in the far east of Homs

The convoy which is carrying hundreds of the members of the “Islamic State” organization and their families, is still stopped at the administrative border between Homs and Deir Ezzor, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the convoy which left on Monday night the 28th of August 2017, is continuing stopping in Hmimeh area which is controlled by regime forces, waiting for securing a new safe passage to the areas controlled by ISIS after warplanes of the International Coalition targeted the convoy’s road on Wednesday the 30th of August 2017, to prevent it from entering the areas of Deir Ezzor countryside, where the convoy intends to head towards Al-Bokamal area, and reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the convoy is waiting for the approval of the Iraqi side to move through areas controlled by the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces to areas controlled by the organization.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published hours ago that searching for a safe passage is continuing, where the convoy of the “Islamic State” organization which is coming from the barren mountains of Qalamoun, can complete its way to the countryside of Deir Ezzor, reliable sources confirmed that searching by the both parties of the agreement between the Lebanese Hezbollah and ISIS, is still continuing to start moving the convoy towards this new road, which has not been defined yet, to be a passage to the convoy towards Deir Ezzor, this process came after the International Coalition’s warplanes targeted the road of the convoy in the south-east of Deir Ezzor, where the convoy is still stopped in Hmimeh area at the administrative border of Homs with Deir Ezzor, and it is carrying hundreds of members of the “Islamic State” organization of who withdrew from the barren mountains of the Western Qalamoun at the Syrian-Lebanese border in the north-western Rif Dimashq, this process of searching is carried out in two directions either towards the east of Hmimeh area or towards Al-Kum and Jabal Al-Bishri.

The buses launched on Monday the 28th of August 2017, from the barren mountains of the Western Qalamoun adjacent to the Syrian-Lebanese border, towards Deir Ezzor, in which the launching came after buses gathered in the barren mountains of Al-Qalamoun in order to take the second step stipulated in the agreement after ISIS had handed over the dead bodies in their possession. As a result, the regime forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah have now regained full control over the Syrian-Lebanese border, except for several kilometers in the southwestern part of Rif Dimashq, opposite to Shab’a Farms.

This agreement came after about 12 days of targeting the barren mountains of Al-Qalamoun 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 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.