The last remaining Syrian opposition rebels reached a deal to withdraw from the city of Homs as part of a UN-brokered deal, the government said on Tuesday.
The agreement will reportedly take hold in Waer, the last rebel-controlled district of the city.
The 2,000 remaining rebels will leave Waer over the next two months, leaving government forces in full control of the city, according to the city’s governor, Talal al-Barazi.
Barazi told AFP the withdrawal had been agreed with “co-ordination committees,” but did not specify which rebel groups were involved.
"All the rebels will leave Waer within two months. A group of 200 to 300 armed men will leave in the first step, which will begin on Saturday," Barazi said.
According to Barazi, the first stage of the deal will see rebels hand over heavy weaponry to the government over the course of a week.
Despite reports that the latest round of UN-brokered talks had reached an agreement on Tuesday, a UN spokesperson contacted by MEE declined to comment.
A local opposition news site, Central Homs News Website, denied on Tuesday that the negotiations had been successful, reporting that a final deal had yet to be signed.