Syrian forces have evacuated nearly 4,000 people from a militant bastion close to Damascus, Syrian state news agency SANA and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

Syrian forces have evacuated nearly 4,000 people from a militant bastion close to Damascus, Syrian state news agency SANA and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, reported on Sunday.

"Army units evacuated more than 2,100 people from Eastern Ghouta" on Sunday alone, SANA reported, running photos showing cold and underfed women, children and elderly people.

It said residents of Douma, in Eastern Ghouta, had "fled the crimes of terrorist organizations who use residents as human shields."

The pro-opposition Observatory also reported the mass evacuation from Eastern Ghouta.

According to the monitoring group, the government’s amnesty granted to former militants had facilitated negotiations to evacuate civilians from the area, which has suffered food and medical shortages.

The evacuees were taken to shelters in the Qudsaya area, northwest of Damascus, SANA added.

The agency said 2,112 people had been evacuated on Sunday, and 1,687 people left the area on Saturday.

A military source said those leaving the area "fled to the army because of all kinds of blackmail and persecution they are being subjected to by terrorists."

Meanwhile, Kuwait will host a third donors conference to raise funds for UN humanitarian operations in war-torn Syria, the Kuwaiti foreign minister said on Sunday.

Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah told reporters that Kuwait would host the meeting at the request of UN chief Ban Ki-moon. There was no additional information provided on the date of conference.