Damascus – An elderly Pakistani man and his wife have fled Syria’sembattled Eastern Ghouta, it emerged Thursday, the only known civilians tohave left since a “humanitarian pause” took effect.

The rebel enclave outside Damascus has seen some of the worst bombardmentand fighting of the Syrian civil war since Russia-backed government forceslaunched an assault on February 18.

Mohammad Fadhl Akram, 73, and his wife Saghran Bibi, 10 years younger, wereevacuated on Wednesday afternoon, a medical source with the Syrian RedCrescent said, but were devastated to be leaving 17 family members behindin the battered region.

Their evacuation comes after a “humanitarian pause” announced by Russiacame into effect on Tuesday following days of air strikes and clashes thathave killed more than 600 civilians.

“Syria is my home — not Pakistan,” Akram told AFP, but added that he nowwanted to leave.

“I’m tired of all the bombardment… I’m really tired,” he said.

Eastern Ghouta has been under siege by regime forces since 2013, withresidents facing severe food and medical shortages even before the latestassault.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said thePakistani couple were the only people among the besieged enclave’s 400,000residents to have left since the “humanitarian pause” started on Tuesday.

Russia this week ordered the daily five-hour pause in the enclave and saidit was guaranteeing civilians safe passage to flee.

But Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said the Pakistani couple wereleaving the enclave not because of this pause but as a result of months ofnegotiations by their embassy.

Akram, who settled in Syria in 1974, said he and his Pakistani wife weregrateful to have been able to flee the embattled Damascus suburbs.

But they were distressed they had to leave two sons, three daughters and 12grandchildren behind as fighting continues in the rebel-held region.

“I hope God protects them,” said Akram, who sported a trimmed white beard.

“I don’t want anything else.”

He said the embassy told him his children could not leave as, unlike him,they were born in Syria.

Mohamad Azem Rihan, Pakistani charge d’affaires in Damascus, said thecouple’s papers were being prepared so they could be repatriated.

No other Pakistanis remained in the enclave, he said.

The Russian announcement of a “humanitarian pause” fell far short of a full30-day ceasefire voted for by the United Nations Security Council lastSaturday that has yet to be implemented.

Dozens of trucks loaded with relief supplies have been unable to enter theenclave.

More than 340,000 people have been killed across Syria since its civil warstarted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests. -APP/ AFP