Hundreds of Syrian Families Return to Hometown in Damascus Countryside

The Syrian state news agency quoted Damascus Governor-General Alaa Monir Ibrahim as saying that more than 1,000 families consisting of around 10,000 people have returned to al-Bowedha, adding that his department will provide all the required services to the newly-arrived civilians as soon as possible, with its focus on providing electricity and drinking water.

Syria's Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper quoted Alaa Monir Ibrahim as saying on Friday that 30% of the people who had left their homes in Damascus have returned in the past 3 months.

He underlined that 1,500 Syrian families returned to their homes in al-Zabadani in the Northwestern countryside of the capital Damascus near the Lebanese border, adding that efforts were underway to persuade more expatriate Syrian families to return to their country.

Al-Zabadani sustained huge destruction due to the intensity of the battles as it was one of the first that fell to the militants in Northwestern Damascus in January 2012.

The town is of strategic importance due to its proximity to the Lebanese border, as the rebels had used it as a conduit to smuggle fighters and weapons between Syria and Lebanon.

The Lebanese Hezbollah group has had a big role in retrieving the town.