MOSCOW (Dispatches) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has visited army positions and talked to Syrian forces in Eastern Ghouta suburb of the capital Damascus, Syrian state news agency SANA reports.
Russia says more than 20,000 people left Eastern Ghouta on Sunday, using one of the four humanitarian corridors set up to enable safe passage out of the Syrian capital's suburb.
The Center for Reconciliation in Syria which is run by Russia's Defense Ministry made the announcement, saying the evacuation took place in the town of Hammouriyeh, Interfax news agency reported.
Since humanitarian corridors were set up, more than 68,000 people have left Eastern Ghouta, the center added.
Russia has set up the passageways with Syria’s help to contribute to a United Nations Security Council resolution, which came into force last month mandating a ceasefire in the Arab country.
Meanwhile, the Syrian army gave foreign-sponsored terrorists operating inside Harasta town of the Eastern Ghouta enclave to withdraw till 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) on Sunday.
The report came shortly after Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that thousands of civilians, whom extremists were using as human shields to slow down the progress of government forces and their allied fighters from popular defense groups, have managed to leave Eastern Ghouta.
The report noted that more than 5,000 civilians, mostly children and women, depart the area through humanitarian corridors set up by the army troopers.
Syria and Russia have cornered foreign-backed terrorists in the countryside as part of their campaign to liberate civilians holed up there and end terrorist attacks from the suburb on Damascus.
During their advances in the area, Syrian forces have uncovered workshops used to make chemical weapons. The Syrian military has also intercepted several arms and ammunition cargoes heading to Eastern Ghouta.
One man, who had fled the suburb to the al-Duweir camp near Damascus on Saturday, said a lot of children suffer from malnutrition because militants are stealing the aid.
On Friday, civilians fleeing through the Hush Nasri corridor described in an interview with AFP news agency how terrorists were preventing them from leaving the area and using them as human shields.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad talks to government forces while visiting their positions in Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus on March 18, 2018.