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Nearly 850 militants in Syria lay down arms after talks — Russian Defense Ministry

Russian representatives have mediated a meeting between the authorities of the Daraa province with the residents of six communities with more than one thousand people taking part

MOSCOW, March 1. /TASS/. Nearly 850 militants in Syria have agreed to give up armed struggle as a result of negotiations, the Russian center for the reconciliation of rival factions in Syria has said on the ministry’s website.

Russian representatives have mediated a meeting between the authorities of the Daraa province with the residents of six communities with more than one thousand people taking part. After the meeting 842 members of the armed groups Jaish al-Islam, Free Syrian Army and the Yarmuk Brigade put their signatures to a statement they were giving up armed struggle and returning to peaceful life," the statement runs.

The meeting took place despite attempts by radical groups to disrupt it. On the way to the meeting place several local residents were beaten up by militants. Former Syrian army colonel Zaidan Alnserat, one of the initiators of the meeting, was taken hostage.