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| Syria war: Yarmouk evacuation camp 'on hold' | Syria war: Yarmouk evacuation camp 'on hold' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The expected evacuation of thousands of rebels from in and around Yarmouk refugee camp in southern Damascus has been put on hold, reports say. | The expected evacuation of thousands of rebels from in and around Yarmouk refugee camp in southern Damascus has been put on hold, reports say. |
| Safety issues and the killing of a top rebel have been blamed for the delay. | |
| Militants and their families were due to be bussed to areas under the control of their respective groups, under a deal between rebels and the government. | Militants and their families were due to be bussed to areas under the control of their respective groups, under a deal between rebels and the government. |
| About 18,000 civilians have been trapped in Yarmouk by the fighting and a government siege since 2012. | About 18,000 civilians have been trapped in Yarmouk by the fighting and a government siege since 2012. |
| Islamic State (IS) militants took over parts of the camp earlier this year. | Islamic State (IS) militants took over parts of the camp earlier this year. |
| They were pushed back by Palestinian militias and Syrian rebels after weeks of fierce fighting. | They were pushed back by Palestinian militias and Syrian rebels after weeks of fierce fighting. |
| Yarmouk has since been divided into areas controlled by IS, the rival al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, and pro- and anti-government Palestinian militants. | Yarmouk has since been divided into areas controlled by IS, the rival al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, and pro- and anti-government Palestinian militants. |
| Government forces maintain checkpoints around the area preventing civilians from leaving. | |
| Under the deal, fighters will withdraw from Yarmouk and the neighbouring districts of Hajar al-Aswad and al-Qadam. | |
| Lebanese Hezbollah al-Manar TV said the evacuation was held up because the convoy was due to pass through territory controlled by rebel group Jaysh al-Islam, whose leader was killed in an air strike on Friday. | |
| The UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said it was paused for "logistic reasons" in order to secure the road to IS-held Raqqa in the east. | |
| The plan would see IS fighters and their families given safe passage there, and al-Nusra militants transferred to the northern province of Idlib. | |
| Once Yarmouk is made safe, the UN will be able to get aid to the civilians who have been trapped. |