DAMASCUS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Islam Army rebels and their families left Dumair town in northeast of Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday to northern Syria, state news agency SANA reported.

So far, eight buses carrying the rebels and their families had left Dumair to the rebel-held city of Jarablus, as the first evacuation under the supervision of Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), according to the report.

SANA said 1,500 rebels and 3,500 members of their families are expected to withdraw from Dumair, where about 100,000 people live.

The evacuation comes under a deal reached on Tuesday for the rebels' evacuation from the town, in a way similar to what had happened in the Douma district.

The Islam Army rebels on Wednesday continued handing over their medium and heavy weapons in Dumair, SANA reported.

After the rebels' evacuation from Douma earlier this month, the entire Eastern Ghouta countryside in the east of Damascus has returned to the control of the Syrian government.

However, the Islam Army and allied militants still control some pockets in the eastern part of the Qalamoun region north of Damascus.