More than 7000 people started evacuating from four besieged Syrian towns Friday under a mass evacuation deal concluded recently between the Syrian government and rebels.

A total of 60 buses carrying around 2,350 rebels and their families evacuated the towns of Madaya and Zabadani toward rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib.

In return, around 75 buses and 20 ambulances carrying 5,000 people, including fighters, left the Shiite towns of Kafraya and Fouaa in Idlib countryside toward government-controlled areas in the northern city of Aleppo.

The evacuation process will continue from the aforementioned towns in the next hours.