Syrian army captures key rebel stronghold in Eastern Ghouta as 12,500 civilians evacuate

A civilian greets a Syrian soldier while evacuating the town of Hamouriyeh in Eastern Ghouta area of Damascus, Syria, March 15, 2018. The Syrian army captured the Hamouriyeh district in the capital Damascus' Eastern Ghouta countryside after the withdrawal of the Failaq al-Rahman rebel group as 12,500 people evacuated that area on Thursday, a monitor group reported. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)