Syrian troops cut major roads in suburbs of Damascus
Syrian government forces succeeded Saturday in their deepest push yet into the eastern suburbs of the capital Damascus, cutting off a major highway that made it hard to move between three parts of the terror-held area, and inflicting a major blow to terrorists there.
Syrian state media and a monitoring group said government forces have encircled the terrorist-held town of Harasta, cutting it off from the rest of the suburbs known as Eastern Ghouta, AP reported.
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces have also cut off the main highway that links northern Ghouta with its southern parts, isolating the town of Douma, the largest in the area.
The government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media said troops captured the Kilani gas station on the main highway linking Douma with Harasata and those two areas with the rest of eastern Ghouta.
“The government has cut Ghouta into three parts by cutting the main roads linking them,” said the observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman.
The government, determined to wrest eastern Ghouta from terrorists’ control after seven years of war, recently launched an operation with troops advancing on the ground.
SCMM said troops on Saturday reached the center of the town of Misraba, adding that terrorists are crumbling amid the offensive. Syrian state TV aired live footage from inside the town and saying that troops are less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) from troops on the western side. Reaching them would physically cut northern parts of Eastern Ghouta from its southern parts.
“The Syrian Arab Army soldiers marching from three sides could meet soon,” said staterun Ikhbariyah TV’S reporter in a report from Misraba.
Ikhbariyah reported that government forces and their allies captured farms outside the village of Aftris and are now marching toward the village. It added that troops are also moving toward the town of Jisreen on the southern edge of Eastern Ghouta.
The observatory reported that troops are advancing under the cover of warplanes and gunships and confirmed that government forces captured large parts of Misraba.