IS driven from key position by Syrian army

THE Syrian army yesterday wrested control over the Hajar al-Aswad area, a key Islamic State stronghold south of the capital Damascus, according to Syrian state TV.

The recapture of Hajar alAswad follows a month-long offensive by the army to recapture some areas under IS control.

In a televised statement Syria’s army high command said al-Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk had been cleared of militants.

“Damascus and its surroundings and Damascus countryside and its villages are completely secure areas,” the statement said.

It added that the army would continue to fight “terrorism” across Syria.

Earlier in the day, the Syrian state TV said a brief cease-fire went into force on Sunday afternoon until yesterday noon for the evacuation of humanitarian cases from Hajar al-Aswad before the military operation continued in that area.

The state TV aired footages of the largely-devastated Hajar al-Aswad with Syrian soldiers firing celebratory gunshots while chanting for the Syrian army.

The battle in Hajar al-Aswad was complicated as that area is jam-packed with buildings that are so close to each other, making a ground offensive extremely difficult.

While Hajar al-Aswad is completely liberated, the report spelled no details about the situation in Yarmouk Camp.

With its complete capture of the environs of the capital, the government of President Bashar al-Assad is now in by far its strongest position since the early days of the war, which has killed more than half a million people and driven more than half the population from its homes since 2011.