Homs evacuation begins

At least 400 Syrian opposition fighters had boarded buses to leave the central city of Homs by Wednesday afternoon, according to opposition activists. Buses arrived in the early morning hours, marking the beginning of an evacuation of the rebel-held enclave, which will switch hands under the deal with the Syrian government. The agreement was part of a ceasefire during which rebel fighters can relocate to opposition-held area north of the city.

A negotiator from the anti-government fighters - Abul Hareth al-Khadili - told news agency AFP that the buses were "a mixture of wounded and non-wounded civilians and fighters."

A total of 1,200 fighters were expected to have left the besieged city by the end of the day. They were permitted to carry one rifle and a bag filled with personal belongings.

The Old City in Homs has been the scene of heavy fighting during the Syrian civil war, now in its third year. In January, the UN secured the evacuation of 1,400 civilians from the besieged city, where they had been suffering from severe shortages of food and supplies.

Under the deal implemented on Wednesday, opposition fighters would allow humanitarian aid to enter the northern Syrian enclaves of Nubul and Zahra, currently under government control.

The political stalemate between the Syrian opposition and the Syrian government under President Bashar al-Assad has worried international mediators, who fear the ongoing war will destabilize the region. Fighting has left more than 150,000 dead and has pushed over two million Syrian refugees into neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Iraq.

Despite the violent unrest and the calls for his resignation, President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to go forward with elections, scheduled for June 3.

kms/jr (AP, AFP, Reuters dpa)