Syria gearing up for anti-Daesh battle south of capital

With the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta almost freed, Syrian armed forces are now gearing up for a military operation to cleanse the capital city’s southern areas of Daesh terrorists, a monitor says.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday that Syrian army troops were being deployed to the south of Damascus in preparation for the offensive targeting Daesh terrorists.

The Takfiri terror group lost all the territories under its control in Syria late last year, but its remnants still maintain a presence in the southern districts of Damascus, including Yarmouk, which hosts a Palestinian refugee camp.

The terrorists also control sections of the neighboring districts of Hajar al-Aswad and Tadamun since 2015, a year after they showed face in Syria.

The Observatory, which relies on militant sources to compile its reports, said government soldiers, backed by allied Palestinian forces, have been gathering south of Damascus since Sunday.

Syria’s al-Watan newspaper has also reported a potential military offensive in those areas without elaborating.

The preparations for the offensive come as the Syrian army, backed by the Russian air forces, have almost entirely liberated Eastern Ghouta, which used to serve as a major militant stronghold and a launch pad for deadly raids on residents of Damascus.

Douma is the only part of Eastern Ghouta still held by foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists.

State media earlier reported that the government has reached an evacuation agreement with Jaish al-Islam terrorists holed up in Douma.

Syria’s official SANA news agency reported Thursday that militants and their families continue leaving Douma under the deal for the northern militant-held town of Jarabulus.

Based on the deal, SANA added, the terrorists will hand over their heavy and medium arms to the state, release the hostages and  return the bodies of martyrs.

SS