Syrian rebels welcome truce in Eastern Ghouta

The Syrian military yesterday declared a truce in the rebel-controlled Eastern Ghouta region near the capital.

Eastern Ghouta, which stretches from Damascus’s eastern to north-eastern suburbs, has long been under opposition control in the six-year conflict, even as rebel fighters lost ground elsewhere in the country’s west.

The ceasefire, which began at noon, was welcomed by rebel group Failaq Al Rahman, which said truces were a first step to resolving the Syrian conflict.

Spokesman Waiel Olwan said on Twitter that the government must respect the truce.

There have been many attempts at a lasting ceasefire in western Syria, where rebels have lost ground to government forces and their allies over the last year. Regional truces have often collapsed with both sides trading the blame.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there had been isolated incidents of shellfire since the ceasefire took effect, but no major fighting.

The US, Russia and Jordan reached a ceasefire and “de-escalation agreement” for south-western Syria this month, which has reduced violence.

But fighting has continued on other front lines, including in Eastern Ghouta, an area where the opposition claimed the government launched gas attacks in 2013, which the government denies.

Elsewhere in Syria yesterday, Lebanese militia Hizbollah and the Syrian army advanced against militants on the second day of an assault to drive them from their last foothold along the Syria-Lebanon border.

The operation has targeted fighters from Jabhat Fatah Al Sham, a group that was previously aligned to Al Qaeda and which had been controlling the barren, mountainous region of Jurud Arsal.

Hizbollah said its forces captured a strategic hilltop area called Dhahr Huwa, previously a key Fatah Al Sham base, which allowed them to overlook several border crossings in the area.

Forces had earlier seized Jwar Al Sheikh, Wadi Kriti and other areas in the southern part of Jurud Arsal, it said.

Guns have fallen silent in Eastern Ghouta, but the fighting continues across other parts of Syria

Hizbollah fighters fired assault rifles and wire-guided missiles at militants from a hilltop.

Syrian warplanes, meanwhile, struck militants on the Syrian side of the border, near the town of Fleita.

The offensive began on Friday and killed at least 23 Fatah Al Sham fighters on the first day, government sources said. At least five Hizbollah fighters were also killed.

A security source put Hizbollah’s death toll at 15 early yesterday, and said at least 43 Fatah Al Sham fighters had been killed.