Syria evacuates 31 families in East Ghouta

The Syrian army has evacuated dozens of families out of a militant-besieged area east of the capital Damascus in the second such operation this month.

Syria’s official news agency SANA said Tuesday that army forces had secured a safe passage for 31 families from the city of Douma and town of Zibdin in the Eastern Ghouta region.

The news agency added that those evacuated included women, children and the elderly as well as several armed men who had surrendered.

The evacuated people were transported to a temporary housing center in the Damascus suburb of Qudsaya.

The operation was the second since December 9, when the Syrian army secured a safe passage for 76 families out of Douma, including 322 men, women and children and 20 armed men who had turned themselves in to authorities.

The ISIL terrorist group, known for its brutal tactics, has seized some territories in Syria as well as neighboring Iraq.

Over the past months, Syrian soldiers have made numerous gains in the battle against the foreign-sponsored militants, inflicting heavy losses on them in several areas.

Syria has been grappling with a deadly conflict since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri groups has so far claimed the lives of over 200,000 people, according to reports.

Over 7.2 million Syrians have also become internally displaced due to the ongoing Syrian crisis, according to the UN.