The civilians will remain to the side for now.
At the conclusion of hostilities around 196,000 civilians remained.
On the other side of the river remained the soldiers and civilians whose jobs and injuries demanded that they be left behind.
But about 5,000 American civilians remain as part of the large foreign community.
Some 300 civilians remain, along with a reduced embassy staff.
He added that "very few civilians remain in the neighborhoods around Homs."
As a result of the announcement, many civilians remained on their floors.
Now military and business personnel are usually protected, but tourists and civilians remain at risk.
By this point, an estimated 25,000 civilians remained in the city.
Another 10,000 civilians remain in the hill villages under government siege.