Homs, SANA – Work is underway to implement the settlement agreement in al-Waer neighborhood in Homs city, Governor of Homs Talal al-Barazi stressed to SANA.
The agreement was reached earlier this month by the committees concerned with settling the situation in the neighborhood to come to clearing it of gunmen and weapons so that government institutions’ services are restored.
Al-Barazi explained to SANA reporter that “after the points agreed on were established, implementation of the 15-day first stage of the agreement has immediately started.”
He elaborated that there will be “appeasement” and that the flow of relief and food supplies will be boosted, noting that the committees in charge will study the situation of the detained and kidnapped people.
The Governor expected that the first group of “extremist gunmen” will leave the neighborhood by the end of this week, saying those who are willing to leave will have to hand over their “medium and heavy weapons” to the side specified by the committees and will be allowed to keep only “light weapons”.
During the second stage, al-Barazi said, the gunmen willing to go back to their normal lives will have their legal status settled, noting that all state institutions will go back to work in the neighborhood in the course of the second and third stages.
By the end of the third stage, al-Waer neighborhood will be clear of weapons and gunmen and under the full control of the state, according to the Governor.
A similar agreement to the one at hand was reached in 2014, by which life mostly returned to normal in Old City after it was cleared of weapons and gunmen.
H. Said