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| Syria war: 'Deal struck' to take critically injured out of Douma | Syria war: 'Deal struck' to take critically injured out of Douma |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A deal has been reached to evacuate critically injured people from Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region, reports say. | A deal has been reached to evacuate critically injured people from Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region, reports say. |
| The agreement follows negotiations between the rebel group Jaish al-Islam, civic leaders and Russia. | The agreement follows negotiations between the rebel group Jaish al-Islam, civic leaders and Russia. |
| The wounded will be taken to Idlib, which is still in rebel hands. | The wounded will be taken to Idlib, which is still in rebel hands. |
| Talks are continuing to spare Douma from a military offensive by the Syrian army and its allies, who currently surround it. | Talks are continuing to spare Douma from a military offensive by the Syrian army and its allies, who currently surround it. |
| What do we know about the deal? | What do we know about the deal? |
| The rebels in Douma have denied they are negotiating an evacuation deal for the tens of thousands of civilians still living there. | |
| However, the wounded will be allowed to leave under an agreement made with the Russian military late on Saturday, Reuters news agency says. | However, the wounded will be allowed to leave under an agreement made with the Russian military late on Saturday, Reuters news agency says. |
| The rebels hope the talks will secure them the right to remain in Douma under Moscow's protection. | The rebels hope the talks will secure them the right to remain in Douma under Moscow's protection. |
| How many people have already left the Eastern Ghouta? | How many people have already left the Eastern Ghouta? |
| After six weeks of bombardment, thousands of rebels withdrew to the northern town of Idlib under a safe passage agreement. | |
| The Syrian army has urged those still holding out in Douma to leave or face a full-scale offensive. | The Syrian army has urged those still holding out in Douma to leave or face a full-scale offensive. |
| Tens of thousands of people have now left the suburbs east of Syria's capital, Damascus, which were once home to almost two million. | Tens of thousands of people have now left the suburbs east of Syria's capital, Damascus, which were once home to almost two million. |
| The Syrian army offers defeated rebels a choice between switching sides, or giving up their guns and relocating to government-controlled zones. | The Syrian army offers defeated rebels a choice between switching sides, or giving up their guns and relocating to government-controlled zones. |
| In a televised statement on Saturday, a military spokesman said the army had brought security to the capital, and safeguarded its links to the rest of the country. | |
| How has the stand-off played out? | |
| The Eastern Ghouta has been besieged by the Syrian government since 2013. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described conditions there as "hell on earth". | |
| Residents suffered intense bombardment by Russian-backed Syrian government forces in recent weeks. | |
| Food, fuel and medical stocks are low, and the relentless air strikes have driven many to seek shelter underground, where they are largely without sanitation. | |
| The rebels have accused the government-backed forces of using napalm, chlorine and incendiary bombs against civilian areas. | |
| UN war crimes experts are investigating several reports of rockets allegedly containing chlorine being fired this year. | |
| The Ghouta assault has left more than 1,600 civilians dead and thousands more wounded, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. | |
| Syria's military says it is trying to liberate the Eastern Ghouta from those it terms terrorists, and end their rocket attacks on the capital. | |
| The rebels have fired their own shells at government-controlled areas of Damascus, causing dozens of casualties. | |
| In January the Observatory said at least 60 people had been killed due to rebel bombardment since mid-November 2017. | |
| Earlier in March Syrian state media said at least 35 civilians had been killed in a rocket attack on a busy market. |