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Southern Damascus Reconquest: Syrian Army move into ISIS-held district, move toward HQ
 Syrian Army, Palestinian forces enter ISIS-held subdistrict in southern Damascus [AlMasdar] Minutes ago, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), alongside several Palestinian paramilitary fighters, entered another subdistrict in southern Damascus, following an intense battle with the Islamic State (ISIS). Led by their Republican Guard, the Syrian Arab Army and their Palestinian allies reportedly entered the Al-Midaniyah Subdistrict of southern Damascus after they broke-through the Islamic State’s first line of defense near Al-Qadam’s Al-Asali neighborhood. Intense clashes are now ongoing in northern Al-Midaniyah, as the Syrian Arab Army attempts to seize the entire southern quarter of the Al-Qadam District. Meanwhile, east of Al-Qadam, the Syrian Arab Army’s 4th Division is attempting to advance in southeastern Hajar Al-Aswad amid heavy resistance from the Islamic State. Thus far, the Syrian Army has managed to liberate some buildings in southeast Hajar Al-Aswad; however, the terrorist forces in the area have inflicted heavy casualties on the advancing troops. Syrian Army, Palestinian forces advance towards ISIL’s southern Damascus HQ [AlMasdar] The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and their Palestinian allies have scored advances along several axes in southern Damascus, today, despite facing heavy resistance from the Islamic State (ISIL). Led by their Republican Guard, the Syrian Arab Army continued their advance in the Al-Ma’edhiyah Subdistrict, seizing more buildings that were under the control of the Islamic State near the Al-Asali axis. The Syrian Army is now advancing towards the Islamic State’s southern Damascus headquarters that is located in Hajar Al-Aswad. Meanwhile in Al-Tadamon, the Syrian Army and their Palestinian allies liberated more ground in the Al-Baradi and Al-Baradat neighborhoods, giving control of more than 50 percent of this southern Damascus district. VIDEO: Syrian forces storm ISIS defensives in southern Damascus [AlMasdar] The Syrian Army, backed by paramilitary forces and Palestinian fighters, continues to break through ISIS defense lines in the southern districts of Damascus in bid to reclaim the last insurgent enclave. The government forces are deploying heavy fire-power to storm the heavily-fortified neighborhoods. Troops initiated the ground invasion after shelling the area with artillery, missiles and airstrikes. Footage posted online shows part of the clashes taking place in al-Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk Camp where the Syrian Army unleashes the highly-destructive Golan 1000 ground-to-ground missiles. Syria Regime Strikes Kill 6 Civilians in South Damascus [AnNahar] Syrian regime air strikes have killed six civilians in southern Damascus where government forces are fighting the Islamic State group, a war monitor said Wednesday. The six, including two men and their wives, were killed in the strikes on the Palestinian camp of Yarmuk late Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said. Regime strikes and rocket fire Wednesday morning targeted the neighbouring districts of Hajar al-Aswad and Qadam, the Britain-based monitor said. The latest civilian deaths bring to 18 the total of non-fighters killed in regime bombardment on the capital's southern neighbourhoods since Thursday last week. Yarmuk, which is now IS's last urban redoubt in Syria or Iraq, was once Syria's biggest Palestinian refugee camp, home to around 160,000 people. But the United Nations' agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA says most of the 6,000 refugees still living in the camp last week have since fled. At least 52 pro-regime fighters have been killed in fighting to expel IS from the capital's southern suburbs since April 19, the Observatory says. Syrian officials do not usually disclose losses within army ranks. The monitor has said at least 35 jihadist fighters were also killed during the same period. There are an estimated 1,000 IS fighters left inside Yarmuk and the adjacent districts of Hajar al-Aswad and Qadam. Posted by: trailing wife 2018-04-26 |
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