Hundreds of Syrian families return to homes near Damascus

Beirut, Jan 20: Syria's state-run news agency and opposition activists say some 500 displaced families have returned to their homes in a neighborhood on the southwestern edge of Damascus.

Their return today came a year and a half after a truce between the government and rebels in Qadam district took effect. SANA said 25 buses transported the returnees from nearby areas after final arrangements had been made for their return to homes fled in 2013-2014 battles.

The government has struck several similar cease-fire agreements with rebel-held neighborhoods and suburbs of Damascus, usually after besieging them for months and pounding them into submission, opposition activists say.

Syrian authorities tout the truces as part of the government's program of "national reconciliation" to end Syria's conflict, which has killed more than 250,000 people since March 2011.

AP