Over 3,000 rebels, families leave Damascus' Eastern Ghouta

DAMASCUS, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 3,708 rebels and their family members evacuated Syria's Eastern Ghouta area on Sunday, as the second batch to leave areas under the control of Failaq al-Rahman militia, state TV reported.

The rebels and members of their families were transported by 52 buses from the outskirts of the town of Arbeen in Eastern Ghouta toward rebel-held areas in northwestern Syria.

This is the second batch to leave areas under the control of Failaq al-Rahman, a day after 981 rebels and their families evacuated toward rebel-held areas in Idlib province in northwestern Syria.

The evacuation is part of a recently-reached deal between the rebels and the Syrian army under the Russian mediation.