The Egyptian Embassy in Damascus announced on Thursday the repatriation of 11 Egyptians from Syria to Egypt.

Acting Ambassador in Damascus Mohamed Tharwat said the procedures were finalized in coordination between the embassy and the International Organization for Migration.

The returnees are Egyptians stranded with their families in areas of suicide bombings and attacks by or under the control of the Islamic State group, most notably the Sayeda Zeinab district on the outskirts of Damascus, the refugee camp of Yarmouk, the city of Aleppo, and Latakia countryside.

According to Tharwat, the 11 Egyptians should arrive in Cairo on Friday evening.

This is the fourth group repatriated from Syria to Egypt by the embassy in 2016, he said, adding that the total number of Egyptians returned from Syria in 2016 is 56 so far, he said.

The embassy will continue to follow up the situation of Egyptians in Syria and send them back to Cairo amid the difficult circumstances, Tharwat concluded.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm