DAMASCUS, July 9: State news agency SANA confirmed the that a deal had indeed been reached between the Syrian army and the rebels.

Over the past 24 hours, thousands of Syrian citizen have reportedly returned to the southern province of Daraa following a ceasefire agreement, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The Syrian army and rebels forces have stopped military operations after a Russian-backed deal was brokered enabling some 28,000 people to re-enter the region.

An official told the news agency that the Syria forces have reclaimed Nasib crossing, the official border point between Syria and Jordan where about 60,000 people were located. The region had been captured by rebels in 2015.

“The Syrian troops have deployed along the borderline with Jordan from the town of Busra al-Sham to Nasib crossing," the unnamed official said, adding that "the entire border with Jordan has been secured completely from Nasib in the southeast of Daraa until the desert region of the nearby Sweida province.”

State news agency SANA confirmed the that a deal had indeed been reached between the Syrian army and the rebels. The arrangement, SANA says, will involve the handing over of weapons to the Syrian army by the armed group.

Rebels who comply with the deal will be allowed to remain in Daraa.

Recent statistics, released by the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), said the total number of the displaced people in Daraa reached more than 320,000.

 
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