Civilians start evacuating from rebel-held areas in Syria's Eastern Ghouta

DAMASCUS, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of civilians started evacuating from the rebel-held areas in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Syrian capital Damascus on Tuesday, state news agency SANA reported.

The civilians, including people with medical conditions, reached the government-controlled Wafidin area in northeast of Damascus through a humanitarian corridor set up between Wafidin and the rebel-held Douma district in Eastern Ghouta.

It is the first massive evacuation of civilians from the area since the corridor was established 14 days ago after a Russian-backed humanitarian pause went into force.