30/10/2013 10:48
Fears for Syrians 'still trapped' in Damascus suburb
There are fears many civilians may still be trapped in a besieged suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus, despite thousands being allowed to leave, the BBC reported.
The BBC's Lyse Doucet, who witnessed the exodus, says the government believes only rebel fighters remain in the suburb of Moadamiya.
But she says there are unconfirmed reports thousands more civilians are too frightened to leave.
At least three Damascus suburbs have been besieged by the army for months.
The civilians who left were allowed out through an evacuation negotiated between the government and opposition fighters who control the area.
Hundreds of women and children spent last night in a government-run shelter.
Officials with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent told the BBC’s correspondent that families could stay for as long as one month.
Some will join relatives elsewhere, others have no other place to go.
The government says all civilians have now left the besieged area, with only what it calls "terrorists" staying behind.
Kinda al-Shamamat, the Syrian minister for social affairs, said whoever stayed behind was the enemy.
She said: "Inside al-Moadamiya there is armed groups. They are terrorists. Now we take the civilians to safe places. And then those people are not our responsibility, they are terrorists."
But the BBC’s correspondent says that one activist the BBC reached by Skype said thousands of civilians were still trapped inside, too frightened to leave.
He said that, despite assurances of safe passage, many men who left were now in detention.