After four years of intense fighting, Syrian opposition groups have left the town of Darayya, allowing Syrian government forces to take control of the region under a deal.
Government forces moved into the town as opposition fighters and civilians evacuated towards the city of Idlib. "The Syrian army completely controls Daraya and has entered all of the town. There isn't a single armed man there," an anonymous source told AFP.
“The citizens of Daraya were among the first to hold peaceful protests for a better Syria,” said UK Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood. “They have been besieged for years, enduring terrible suffering under sustained regime airstrikes and cut off from humanitarian aid. We utterly condemn the appalling violence inflicted by the regime on this town. The UN must be granted immediate humanitarian access to Daraya and to all others in need in Syria.”
“The Asad regime and its backers must ensure the safe passage of civilians and fighters who choose to leave Daraya, and equally protect those who choose to stay, in accordance with international humanitarian law,” he added.
The move comes whilst heavy fighting continues in Aleppo, where at least 15 people have died from barrel bombs.