FIGHT TO CONTROL DAMASCUS WATER

Syrian government forces retake spring and pumping station from rebels,

DAMASCUS // Syrian government troops yesterday gained control of the village where the main water source for Damascus is located as rebel fighters began to leave.

In a major development, rebels agreed to leave the Barada Valley, potentially ending a month- long stand- off that deprived nearly five million people of water and trapped tens of thousands of civilians in the area, which the rebels first seized in 2012.

Syrian state television showed buses lined up to transport rebel fighters out of Ain El Fijeh, the village that houses the water plant with the same name, which supplied most of the water for the capital.

“The Syrian army hoisted the Syrian flag above the installation,” said the commentary, signifying a deal was in place.

Earlier this month, rebels struck a truce with Syrian authorities to allow the water pipes to be repaired, but the deal was called off after a mediator was killed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces entered Ain El Fijeh along with ambulances to move the injured as part of the deal to end the fighting there.

But the Observatory, director Rami Abdel Rahman, said this was just “a first stage” in implementing the deal towards repairing the station and allowing water to return to millions in the capital. The regime has accused the rebels of cutting off the mains, while the armed opposition said regime bombardment had destroyed the infrastructure.

The ceasefire, brokered by Russia and Turkey and in place since December 30, was tested by the fighting in the Barada Valley, which was sparked by the government claiming the rebels had poisoned the water source at Ain El Fijeh – a claim the rebels denied.

As part of the deal, rebels can choose to stay in the area but hand over their weapons or leave for the northern province of Idlib, the last major stronghold of the armed opposition.