As diplomacy in Moscow focused on the U.S. airstrikes targeting the country, over 2,350 people were bussed out of the twin towns of Madaya and Zabadani near Damascus. BEIRUT—The Syrian government and rebels evacuated more than 7,000 people from four besieged towns Friday in the latest co-ordinated population transfer in Syria’s six-year-long civil war. Evacuees from the pro-government towns were dropped in one area of government-controlled Aleppo city, before being transported to a temporary shelter camp in another part of the city. The government has targeted medical workers with detention, torture and bombardment throughout the conflict, according to local medical workers, as well as reports from Physicians for Human Rights and Doctors Without Borders. The arrangement has the town’s last 160 hold outs — all believed to be fighters or medical workers — bussed out.

Source: thestar April 14, 2017 16:18 UTC