DAMASCUS, SYRIA (10:50 P.M.) – More than 100 Syrian families have returned to Al-Tufail and Arsal Al-Ward towns in West Qalamoun from Lebanese refugee camps, as reconciliation deal between Hezbollah and jihadist groups comes into force.

This batch of refugee families is reportedly the beginning, as more refugees are expected to return home in the forthcoming days.

Habitants fled the aforementioned towns when jihadists of Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS, Syrian Al-Qaeda branch) captured the area in 2012.

Their return became possible as a result of negotiations between Hezbollah and HTS that aim at settling an agreement under terms of which HTS militants are to be transferred to northern Syria.