DAMASCUS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Progress has been made in negotiations between the Syrian authorities and Islamic State (IS) militants on release of hostages from Syria's southern province of Sweida, a monitor group reported Sunday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the negotiations have reached an "advanced stage" and the final deal could be around the corner.
The IS is likely to release the hostages if the Syrian authorities agree to allow its remaining fighters to evacuate the Tulol al-Safa hills, the last IS-held area in the remote eastern countryside of Sweida, the London-based watchdog said.
More than 30 hostages were hustled from their homes during an IS offensive on the town of Shbeki in the eastern countryside of Sweida on July 25.
During the offensive, the IS militants killed over 260 civilians and fighters, who attempted to defend the town from the surprise IS attack launched from the desert region.
The kidnaped people appeared in several videos calling for their release. A 19-year-old male hostage was killed and a female hostage died of medical condition.
Residents of Sweida have been calling on the authorities to help secure the release of their relatives.
Hamoud Al-Hinawi, a Druze leader in Sweida, told Xinhua that 27 IS-linked people had been released under the supervision of Russian officers by a local fighting group as a gesture of good will.
However, the whereabouts of these IS-kidnapped hostages are still unknown, he said.