Big Syrian push into rebel-held territory

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 rebel-held area, and inflicting a blow to opposition fighters who have vowed not to surrender.

Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group said government forces have laid siege on the rebel-held town of Harasta, cutting it off from the rest of the suburbs known as eastern Ghouta.

Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said government forces have cut off the highway that links northern Ghouta with southern parts, isolating Douma, the largest town in the area.

The government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media said troops captured the Kilani gas station on the highway linking Douma with Harasta and those areas with the rest of eastern Ghouta.

Residents will have to rely on unpaved roads to move in eastern Ghouta. That is difficult because of the intensity of shelling and air strikes, activists said.

The government and its Russian backers, determined to wrest eastern Ghouta from rebel control after seven years of war, recently intensified the shelling and bombardment to clear the way for Syrian troops to advance on the ground.

Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in three weeks of relentless bombardment.

Troops Saturday reached the center of Misraba. Syrian state TV aired live footage from the village and said that troops are less than three-fifths of a mile 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 Rabih Dibi, a reporter with state-run Ikhbariyah TV in his report from Misraba.