Agreement to Evacuate Terrorist Groups from Three Towns in Damascus Southern Countryside Reached

DAMASCUS, (ST)- An agreement was reached between the Syrian government and the terrorist groups to evacuate terrorists and their families from the towns of Yelda, Babila, and Beit Sahem in Damascus Southern Countryside, SANA reporter has said.

Militants who want to stay will get their legal status settled after they hand their weapons over, according to the agreement.

The agreement came hours after the Syrian Arab army reestablished control over the neighborhoods of al-Mazniyeh, al-Qadam, al-Asali and al-Joura in southern Damascus and after the army tightened the grip over the terrorist organizations having positions in southern Damascus and forced them to surrender and seek agreement to leave the area after huge losses inflicted upon them during the army’s military operation.

 The state institutions will also return to the three towns  to resume providing services to citizens.

Over the past few months, the people of Babila, Yalda and Beit Sahem took to the streets of the towns several times to protest the terrorist groups’ practices which hinder reconciliation. They even entered into direct clashes with the terrorists to express rejection to their presence in these areas.

Army clears al-Mazniyeh, al-Qadam, al-Asali, and al-Joura neighborhoods of terrorism

The Syrian News Agency SANA reported citing a military source that Syrian Arab Army units Saturday evening regained control over the neighborhoods of al-Mazniyeh, al-Qadam, al-Asali, and al-Joura in the surroundings of al-Hajar al-Aswad area at the southern outskirts of Damascus.

The source said that army units continued operations against the gatherings and hotbeds of terrorist organizations at the southern outskirts of Damascus, seizing control of al-Mazniyeh, al-Qadam, al-Asali, and al-Joura neighborhoods after destroying the terrorists’ fortified positions and inflicting heavy losses upon them in personnel and weaponry.

Earlier , SANA’s reporter said that army units continued their operations against terrorist groups in al-Hajar al-Aswad and advanced on several directions in al-Qadam neighborhood, taking control of a number of buildings.

The reporter said the army’s accurate surveillance operations on the terrorist groups’ infiltration and movement routes have made terrorists a direct target for the army’s heavy fire.

He added the military operations will continue until control is established over all areas in the south of Damascus, and consequently securing the neighboring areas which the terrorist organization target with shells.

Speaking to SANA, a field commander said that fierce clashes between the army units and Daesh (ISIS) terrorist organization took place at very close distances during the past hours, indicating that the army units are dealing with the terrorist snipers with the appropriate weapons.

The commander said that a network of tunnels and trenches were discovered in al-Mazniyeh neighborhood which were being used by Daesh terrorists to move around and transport weapons, adding that IDEs planted by the terrorists in houses, factories, and industrial facilities have been dismantled. 

Hamda Mustafa