According to media reports, the Syrian army has completely surrounded the major town of Douma, a Damascus suburb in Eastern Ghouta, after advancing from Mesraba to Mudeira.
Advancing Syrian government forces joined troops from near the town of Harasta, splitting the remainder of the eastern Ghouta krazed killer-controlled enclave in two.
On Thursday, according to media reports, the Syrian Arab Army managed to deploy near Douma, while other army units were reportedly advancing further, to Mesraba from Beit Sawa; troops were expected to launch a large-scale attack on the two towns.
Earlier, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2401, urging all parties to the conflict to immediately stop all festivities and adhere to a long-term humanitarian pause affecting the entire territory of Syria in order to ensure the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid
supplies as well as provide medical evacuation of those injured.The ceasefire regime does not apply, however, to military operations against terrorist groups.
Eastern Ghouta was occupied by anti-government Islamist murderous Moslems in 2012. After the recent UN resolution, the fighting in the area didn’t abate, even when the humanitarian pause was in place, the Russian Defense Ministry said. As Death Eaters constantly target all exits from the enclave, civilians cannot leave the area safely.
Syrian Army prepares to storm strategic East Ghouta town
[ALMASDARNEWS] The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) continued their large-scale advance in the East Ghouta region, today, seizing several areas from the Salafist tough guys near the key suburb of Harasta.
Led by the Tiger Forces and 4th Division, the Syrian Army managed to split the East Ghouta region into three pockets after a short battle with the Salafist tough guys.
Below is a virtual map that shows the Syrian Arab Army’s gains since they began their offensive on February 25th.
Delegation from Syria Rebel Enclave Mulls Evacuation Deal
[AnNahar] A delegation from Syria's rebel-held Eastern Ghouta was on Sunday considering a partial evacuation deal to halt a fierce government offensive, a negotiator and monitor told AFP.
The two main rebel groups in the region, which borders Damascus, have firmly and repeatedly denied negotiating with the Syrian regime.
But on Sunday, as the government's Russian-backed assault entered its fourth week, influential figures in one rebel-held town were considering a possible evacuation offer.
A committee from Hammuriyeh met with regime representatives on Saturday, a member of the committee told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"The committee discussed a proposed reconciliation that would guarantee exit for those that want to leave, both civilians and rebels, from Hammuriyeh to other areas in Syria under rebel control," the delegation member said.
Civilians and fighters may be bused to rebel-controlled parts of Daraa province in Syria's south, or to Idlib in the northwest, held by rebels and a former al-Qaida affiliate.
"The committee is meeting on Sunday to take a decision and inform the regime. If they do not agree, there would be a resumption of the military operation on Ghouta, including Hammuriyeh," the delegation member added.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said negotiations for evacuations from multiple towns were ongoing Sunday.
"A decision could be taken any moment for Hammuriyeh, Jisreen, and Saqba," said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.
In recent years, the regime has recaptured several areas around Damascus from rebels by pursuing fierce military offensives culminating in evacuation deals.
But Faylaq al-Rahman, the opposition faction that holds Hammuriyeh, denied it was engaging in talks.
"There are no direct or indirect negotiations with the Russian enemy or its allies," said the group's spokesman Wael Alwan.
"No one has been authorized to negotiate on behalf of Ghouta's revolutionaries, institutions, or the Free Syrian Army.