Palestinian refugee camp in Syria to be emptied of arms

A Palestinian official announced Monday that "practical steps" would be taken within hours to empty militants and weapons from the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Syria. The steps also include helping the return of the Yarmouk camp's residents, who moved into Lebanon and other parts of Syria in the past two years, said Zakaria al-Agha, an executive committee member of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Leading a Palestinian delegation, Al-Agha arrived in Syria on Saturday with the goal of getting Palestinian refugee camps out of the Syrian conflict. It's the fourth such visit by the delegation. When talking about the issue of missing and detained Palestinians, al-Agha said in a statement that the Syrian officials promised to start releasing those refugees who are proved not to be involved in the Syrian crisis. Syrian authorities also agreed to open a safe passage into the camp, which is located near Damascus, to allow the delivery of food and medicine, al-Agha added. The Palestinian delegation met on Sunday with Syrian government officials and the head of the Syrian security services. Al-Agha said that the Palestinian leadership is interested in Syria's " unity and safety," calling for a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis.