‘Syria forces retake spring near Damascus’
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A Syrian soldier raises the national flag over the entrance to the al-Figeh Village in the Wadi Barada area in Damascus’ countryside, January 28, 2017
Government forces have entered a key village in the Syrian capital’s countryside, retaking control of a spring and water storage facilities that used to supply Damascus’ water.
On Saturday, the forces moved into the Ayn al-Figeh Village, which is located in the strategic Wadi Barada area in the suburbs of the capital, sources associated with the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, reported.
Wadi Barada is home to Damascus’ main river, Barada, as well as springs used as sources of water for the capital. Al-Figeh houses one of those springs.
Since late December 2016, government forces have been fighting in Wadi Barada against the militants who have damaged the water processing facilities there and cut the water flow to some five million people in the city.
According to Syria’s government, the militants fighting in Badi Warada belong to the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Takfiri terror group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria.
EA
