Syrian Red Crescent official says aid workers to return to besieged Homs to evacuate civilians

BEIRUT – An official with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent says aid workers are expected to return to the besieged central city of Homs, a day after trucks carrying food and medical supplies came under fire.

Khaled Erksoussi, the head of operations at SARC, told The Associated Press that the agency will try to evacuate more civilians Sunday from rebel-held areas in Homs in line with a U.N.-brokered agreement on a three-day truce.

Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar Assad have prevented the entry of food and medical aid into rebel-held parts of Homs for over a year.

Erksoussi said 83 civilians have been evacuated since Friday when the truce went into effect. It was broken a day later, leaving an aid worker wounded, Erksoussi said in a phone interview from Damascus.