Deal reached that could restart Aleppo evacuation

BEIRUT — Rebel and government forces agreed Saturday to allow “humanitarian cases” to leave two besieged government-held Shiite villages in northwestern Syria, a step that would allow the resumption of civilian and rebel evacuations from eastern Aleppo which were suspended a day earlier, Hezbollah’s media arm and a monitoring group said.

Hezbollah fighters have joined the Syrian war fighting along with President Bashar Assad’s forces.

An amateur video posted online by opposition activists Friday showed scores of men, women and children running away from a crossing point for fear of being shot at.

Hezbollah’s Military Media said the new deal also includes the rebel-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani near the border with Lebanon where tens of thousands of people are trapped under siege by government forces and the Lebanese group.