DAMASCUS, May 21 (Xinhua) -- A brief cease-fire was reached on Sunday afternoon in the Islamic State (IS)-controlled pockets south of the capital Damascus for the humanitarian evacuation, state news agency SANA reported Monday.
The cease-fire, which will end at noon on Monday, enabled the evacuation of women, children and elderly people from Hajar al-Aswad area south of Damascus, SANA said.
The Syrian army will continue its military operation against the IS after the cease-fire, it added.
The cease-fire comes at a time when the opposition activists were talking about a secret deal for the evacuation of IS militants and their families from Hajar al-Aswad and the nearby Yarmouk Camp, following a month-long intense military showdown in those areas.
The Syrian army has launched a massive assault on IS-held areas to completely secure Damascus, after dislodging the rebels in another countryside of the capital in recent months.
