No good options for Ghouta rebels
Three years ago, the Army of Islam, one of Syria’s most powerful armed opposition groups, held a massive military parade that included thousands of opposition fighters marching in formation and a striking display of tanks and armoured vehicles at the doors of the Syrian capital.
The Army of Islam now stands alone in Eastern Ghouta, its fighters facing a stark choice: surrender or die.
Haitham Bakkar, a Doumabased opposition activist, said the situation in Douma is very tense because it is unclear what will happen next. He said it was a question of existence for the Army of Islam fighters.
Douma, on the northeastern edge of Damascus, is the last rebel holdout in the Eastern Ghouta region after thousands of fighters from the Ahrar al-Sham and Faylaq al-Rahman groups ceded their towns to government control.
Rebels who left Eastern Ghouta have all gone to Idlib, an insurgent-held region dominated by al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters near the Turkish border, where they either have a presence or good relations with Turkey.
By contrast, the Army of Islam is home-grown and has no other strongholds. It is a resounding defeat for the powerful group that once briefly overran parts of Damascus and showered the capital with mortar shells. It is also a reflection of the diminished role of Saudi Arabia, once a major supporter of Syrian rebels. AP
BEIRUT: