Old City of Homs Declared Secure, Aid Convoy Reaches Nubbul and al-Zahraa

Local Editor

Governor of Homs Talal al-Barazi declared the Old City Homs

of Homs "secure" and "totally free of arms and gunmen" thans to the sacrifices and heroic achievements of the Syrian Arab Army.

The army has assumed control of the Old City after hundreds of gunmen have been allowed to be evacuated. Several more had their files settled after turning themselves in and handing over their weapons to the authorities. The evacuation started two days ago with the aim to have the city of Homs cleared of arms and gunmen.

Al-Barazi told SANA reporter that after combing operations were finished, numbers of returning residents were allowed to enter the neighborhoods of al-Hamidiyeh, al-Warsheh, Bustan al-Diwan and Bab Hud.

Earlier, he said the army units have been engaged in a combing operation to detect and dismantle the explosive devices planted by the terrorists in the neighborhoods of the Old City, calling on citizens and business owners to go to the Police Department of al-Hamidiyeh neighborhood which is to facilitate their entry.

Field hospitals and tunnels found, explosive devices dismantled

In the course of these operations, the army units uncovered two field hospitals in the neighborhoods of Bab Hud and al-Qarabis in the Old City, SANA reporter said.

The hospitals were found to include large quantities of medicines and medical equipment.

A number of explosive devices were detected and dismantled in Bab Hud, in addition to discovering a workshop for making mortar rounds and rocket shells containing big quantities of explosives. A network of tunnels was also found in the neighborhood.

The reporter added that the army units also dismantled several explosive devices and discovered a large network of tunnels dug underneath the houses in al-Qarabis neighborhood stretching under the main street towards the orchards.

The tunnels were used by the terrorists to move between the neighborhoods of the Old City.

Homs Governor said the engineering units will complete search operations in the neighborhoods of Jouret al-Shayyah and al-Qusour so as to let in the returning residents once they are finished.

Al-Barazi pointed out that local committees have been formed of residents to oversee and follow up on the entry process and cataloging the losses so as to keep the authorities informed of the needs.

Efforts to enable residents to return to their homes have been accelerated.

The Governor noted that several workers from various service establishments carried out today a volunteer work day to help get work at the establishments and institutions back on track.

In accordance with Homs agreement, an aid convoy, composed of twelve trucks, reached today the towns of Nubbul and al-Zahraa in Aleppo countryside.