Syrian rebels launch attack on northeastern Damascus
A Syrian military source said rebel fighters had entered the area, setting off a car bomb at the start of the attack
AMMAN/BEIRUT: Syrian rebels stormed a government-held area in northeastern Damascus on Tuesday for the second time in three days, sources on both sides said, the opposition’s first such large scale foray in over four years inside the capital.
For rebels, the assault has shown they are still able to wage offensive action, though their situation remains very difficult near Damascus and across the country as a whole.
President Bashar Al Assad and the Syrian army, along with allied Russian, militia forces, have gained the upper hand in the war for western Syria over the past 18 months, culminating in the full recapture of Aleppo in December.
New offensive
The spokesman for one of the main insurgent groups involved in the attack told Reuters the new offensive began at 5.00 am, targeting an area rebel fighters had seized from government control on Sunday before being forced to retreat.
A Syrian military source told Reuters rebel fighters had entered the area, setting off a car bomb at the start of the attack. The source said a group of rebels that had entered the area had been encircled and were “being dealt with”.
The rebel groups have launched the assault from their Eastern Ghouta stronghold to the east of the capital. Government forces have escalated military operations against Eastern Ghouta in recent weeks, seeking to tighten a siege on the area. The rebel assault aims partly to relieve that pressure.
The fighting has focused around the Abassiyin area of the northeastern Jobar district, some 2 km east of the Old City walls, at a major road junction leading into the capital.
A witness in the Tijara resi- dential area near the fighting said dozens of tanks were deployed - an unusual scene for residents of inner Damascus, whose quarters been spared the widespread fighting on the fringes of the sprawling city.
Wael Alwan, spokesman for the Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebel group Failaq al Rahman, said: “We launched the new offensive and we restored all the points we withdrew from on Monday.”
He said the attack strengthened the hand of the mainstream opposition ahead of new peace talks in Geneva on Thursday. “Our gains today will give strength to our presence in Geneva after tomorrow,” he added.
Another rebel official heading to Geneva said the attack showed the limitations of Russia’s extensive military support.