The Red Cross started evacuating wounded people from war-torn Qusair in Syria to local hospitals in Lebanon Saturday, after the city fell to a Hezbollah and Syrian Army assault.
About 12 vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross moved around 30 wounded people from Qusair on Saturday through the Syrian border town of Qara into the Bekaa town of Arsal, northeast Lebanon, security sources told The Daily Star.
The wounded were handed to the Lebanese Red Cross who took them to local hospitals in the Bekaa for treatment, the sources said.
More people wounded in the several week long attack on Qusair are expected to arrive in Lebanon soon.
“This is the first batch of wounded people and the Red Cross is expected to bring in several other groups in the coming days,” said one security source.
During the battle the Red Cross did not have access to the wounded and there were conflicting reports of civillians' ability to flee from the city. Syria's government refused to grant the Red Cross access to the city until the fighting was over.
A small group of Qusair refugees fled to Lebanon by foot during the fighting.
Hezbollah-backed Syrian regime troops were able to regain control over the rebel-held town of Qusair Wednesday after fierce clashes left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.
