Homs Governor Says Work Underway to Implement Agreement on Clearing Al-Waer Area from Gunmen

HOMS, (ST)-  Homs Governor Talal al-Barazi has stressed that work is underway to implement the agreement reached between committees concerned in settlement in al-Waer neighborhood aiming at clearing the area from gunmen and weapon and helping the state institutions work again there.

Talking to SANA on Tuesday, the Governor clarified that the implementation of the first stage of the agreement has began, during which a truce will be observed to allow the flow of relief aid and food to the people in area and concerned committees are to study the situation of kidnapped and detained people.

  “The first batch of extremist gunmen will leave al-Waer neighborhood by the end of this week”, the Governor said,  noting that “gunmen who want to get out should hand over their medium and heavy weapons to specified sides and will be allowed to keep only their light weapons.”

According to al-Barazi, the second stage will witness the settlement of the legal status of the gunmen who are willing to return to their normal live. During this stage and the stage to follow, all state institutions will start working in the neighborhood, he said.

He stressed that by the end of the third stage, al-Waer will be under the full control of the state and clear of weapons and gunmen.

Early this month, the committees concerned in settlement in al-Waer neighborhood managed to reach an agreement aiming to clear the area from gunmen and weapons as to restore normal life there.

In 2014, a similar agreement was reached in the light of which normal life was restored to Homs old city after the gunmen and their weapons were cleared from the city.

Hamda Mustafa