Islamic State group to give up last pocket in Syrian capital

BEIRUT – Syrian state media says Islamic State group militants have agreed to give up their last pocket in Damascus.

The SANA news agency says militants will be given the option to stay and reconcile with the government or leave on buses to IS-held territory in the eastern Syrian desert.

The agreement announced Friday follows a day of intensive government airstrikes on the IS-held neighborhoods of Hajr al-Aswad and the Yarmouk Palestinian camp, in the Syrian capital.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported "relative calm" in the two neighborhoods after the announcement of the agreement.