Hiba Muhammad, Baladi News, Damascus
Syrian regime concluded an exchange agreement with Jaish al-Fatah (the Army of Conquest), the largest opposing military formation in the northern part of Syria. The agreement included taking the wounded and sick out of the towns of Madaya and Al-Zabadani in the countryside of Damascus in exchange for letting the regime's wounded out from the Shiite town of Al-Fu'ah in the countryside of Idlib.
The agreement resulted in the release of the regime-supporting wounded from Al-Fu'ah town, whereas the wounded from the towns of Madaya and Al-Zabadani have been divided into two groups; one of them headed towards Idlib under the support of Al-Fatah army, while the other headed towards the regime-held capital Damascus under the support of Syrian Red Crescent, as it has been agreed to deliver them to Al-Mujtahid hospital to receive treatment.
“The total number of the sick and wounded who were evacuated from the towns of Madaya and Al-Zabadani according to the agreement, was 251 patients, 175 of which chose to head towards Idlib governorate in northern part of Syria, while the Red Crescent ensured the releasing of 76 others, including men, women and children towards Al-Mujtahid hospital located in the capital Damascus”, according to a media activist named Muntaha.
The details of the incident reveal that 76 patients did not reach Al-Mujtahid hospital, as the regime arrested all the women, 27 in total, and put them in an impenetrable camp called “Basil Al-Assad's camp”, which is located in Al-Duwayr town near Adra city northeast of Damascus. The fate of 49 youth and men was still unknown until the moment of preparing this report.
Media activist “ Nuha” quoted the words of a female captive from the camp after having a phone call with her that the camp comprises women from the countryside who have been there for two years. The people concerned in the incident from Al-Zabadani and Madaya communicated with several parties from Al-Fatah Army and coordinators from the UNHCR office along with some officials from the Syrian Red Crescent, where some of them disavowed their responsibility towards the released wounded, while others tried to dilute the incident and give ambiguous answers, the activist added.
She also confirmed that all the released wounded need a special medical care due to their critical heath conditions, especially children suffering from fever and women with cancer.