Syrian Forces Retake 5 Key Districts in Eastern Ghouta
DAMASCUS (Tasnim) – Syrian forces and their allies stepped up their attacks against terrorists in the suburbs of Damascus on Sunday, managing to liberate five areas from the clutches of Takfiri militants in the Eastern Ghouta district.
According to Tasnim dispatches, the districts of Hazarma, al-Nashabiyah, Hawsh al-Salehiya, and al- Zariqah and the hilltop of Tal Farzat in Eastern Ghouta were recaptured after Syrian troops and their allies began a major assault on the positions of terrorists in the suburbs of the capital.
Al-Nashabiyah and the hilltop of Tal Farzat were two major fortifications of the militants in the volatile area.
The Syrian forces have now encircled Outaya and are advancing towards the town al-Shaffoniya.
In the past few days, Eastern Ghouta near Damascus has witnessed renewed violence with terrorists mounting repeated mortar attacks on the Syrian capital in the face of an imminent rout. Western powers, however, blame the Syrian government and Russia for the crisis.
Following the approval of a recent UNSC resolution demanding a 30-day truce in Syria, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said those parts of Damascus suburbs that are under terrorists’ control will not be included in the ceasefire, adding that the cleansing operation will continue in those areas.
Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia also said that the resolution does not preclude Syrian forces from targeting Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) and al-Nusra Takfiri militants operating in some parts of the Arab country.
The ceasefire does not preclude forces inside Syria from targeting “Islamic State (Daesh), Al Nusrah and other extremist organizations,” Nebenzia said on Saturday after the ceasefire was voted for.
