A Syrian soldier takes position in the Syrian barren region of Fleita in western Syria near Lebanon as preparations were underway to transfer al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front militants on Aug. 2, 2017. The first buses transporting militants with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and civilians crossed into the Syrian side of the Syrian-Lebanese borders as part of evacuation deal between the militants and Hezbollah. Around 113 buses carrying 7,777 people, including Syrian rebels, their families and Syrian refugees sympathizing with the militants, started entering the Syrian barren region of Fleita in the evening, after evacuating the Juroud Arsal barrens on the Lebanese side of the borders. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)
FLEITA, Syria, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The first buses transporting militants with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and civilians crossed into the Syrian side of the Syrian-Lebanese borders as part of evacuation deal between the militants and Hezbollah.
Around 113 buses carrying 7,777 people, including Syrian rebels, their families and Syrian refugees sympathizing with the militants, started entering the Syrian barren region of Fleita in the evening, after evacuating the Juroud Arsal barrens on the Lebanese side of the borders.
The evacuation came as part of a deal struck between the militants and Nusra, following a wide-scale offensive Hezbollah and the Syrian army unleashed two weeks ago in the border region of Syria's western Qalamoun, and the Lebanese Juroud Arsal.
In Syria, the battle was swift and both allies succeeded to clean the Fleita barrens from the al-Qaida-linked militants.
On the Lebanese side of the borders, Hezbollah was close to defeat the Nusra, before a deal was struck between both sides.
The deal started with a cease-fire, and an exchange of the bodies of dead fighters from both sides, as well as prisoners swap.
The second stage of the deal is the evacuation of all remaining Nusra militants and their families from Arsal toward rebel-held areas in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.
After arriving in Fleita, the buses will head toward the Rashideen area in the Aleppo province in northern Syria, before heading toward Idlib.
The evacuation ends the presence of Syrian militants of Nusra Front in Lebanon and in the Syrian border region of Qalamoun.
A Hezbollah commander told Xinhua in Fleita that the battle against Nusra in the border region was a "perfect one."
He added that the battle, which started on July 21, took an important turn in favor of Hezbollah and the Syrian army, when both forces captured the Kirra hilltop in Fleita, which exposes the Nusra positions on the Syrian-Lebanese border region.
He said both allies' goal was to clear the border area in Syria and Lebanon from Nusra and the Islamic State (IS) militants, which are still holding some positions in the border region.
He also noted that the IS-held area on the borders is completely besieged.
"The level of coordination and harmony between the Syrian army and Hezbollah is high," he said.
In Fleita, ambulances of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were ready to escort the convoy of buses coming from Lebanon.
The source in Hezbollah told Xinhua the evacuation is expected to last until Thursday morning, adding that the entire operation will end on Thursday.
