A Syrian opposition source said on Friday that forces loyal to the regime executed 20 fighters after the deal which led to their evacuation from Homs. The fighters had handed themselves and their weapons over to the Syrian authorities after leaving the old city; more than 80 of them have since been transferred to military intelligence offices in Damascus.
According to last month’s UN brokered agreement with the regime, the fighters should have been released after their evacuation from the besieged Homs.
The opposition has condemned the execution and expressed deep concerns over the fate of the 80 fighters taken to Damascus. They called on international organisations to take urgent action to ensure their safety in order to avoid the same fate of thousands of other prisoners tortured to death.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the regime had released 400 male and 80 female prisoners from Adra Prison in Damascus. They were accused of taking part in acts of terrorism. Prior, the regime also released 300 prisoners from Aleppo Central Prison.
Separately, Al-Yarmouk Brigade, the biggest armed opposition group in the south of the country, announced that it has set up training camps for its members run by defectors from the Syrian regime and opposition field commanders.
According to the opposition, these camps were established to train fighters in the use of various weapons and improve their combat capabilities.