Damascus Archives | SpecialOperations.com

The Syrian civil war has seen most of the news centered around the fighting in Raqqa and along the Israeli border. But on Sunday the war came to Damascus, although in a limited way as one of the forces opposing President Assad dropped two mortar rounds at the Russian Embassy in Damascus.

One of mortar rounds landed in the embassy compound, another fell nearby but no injuries were reported by either Russian or Syrian news outlets. No one has yet claimed responsibility. The United States and Turkey support different groups trying to oust Assad from power while the Islamic State has also been heavily involved in the fighting.

The state-run SANA news agency on July 16 said two shells were fired at the Russian Embassy, with one hitting the compound and the other falling nearby.
SANA said at last seven people were injured by shelling in a residential area near the embassy grounds, although it was not known if that was related to the embassy attack or a separate event.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the shelling. Rebels fighting the government of Moscow-backed President Bashar al-Assad have previously struck the Russian Embassy.
The United States and Turkey back differing rebel groups in Syria’s civil war, while Russia and Iran support Assad.
Islamic State (IS) extremists have also entered the conflict and are opposed by the other combatants.
Earlier in the day, a bomb exploded near a hospital in the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib, wounding five people, including at least two children, according to the Syrian Civil Defense group, known as the White Helmets.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights released a report on Sunday putting the total deaths thus far in the civil war at over 330,000 with nearly 100,000 of them civilians.

To read the entire article from Radio Free Europe click here:

Photo courtesy Russian Embassy

The forces of the Syrian Army have claimed to have taken parts of a Damascus suburb away from Syrian rebels.

Syrian state-run television has reported the Army has taken a major suburb on the east side of the city, driving out the rebels.

The opposition Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says rebels remain in control of parts of the Qaboun neighborhood, which along with Barzeh and Jobar, formed an arc from the northern to the eastern edge of Damascus.
The Syrian media report says the military recaptured Qaboun Saturday, as the evacuation of adjacent besieged rebel-held neighborhoods was underway.
If confirmed, this increases the government’s security belt around the capital and strips the opposition of another prized territory in the area. Rebels had held onto a number of neighborhoods on the edge of Damascus since the early days of the uprising, representing the most threatening opposition presence near the government’s seat of power.
The evacuation of hundreds of residents of the Barzeh and Tishreen neighborhoods began last week. They were bused out to a rebel-held province in the north following an agreement with the government, emulating previous successful evacuations in other besieged areas that were also criticized as forced displacement.

Meanwhile, Syrian Kurdish rebels have reportedly moved on the de-facto capital of the Islamic state, in Raqqa, capturing a cotton factory that is 2.5 miles, (4 kilometers) north of the city. Kurdish forces say that their plan is to move on Raqqa this summer.

They earlier had captured a strategic dam 25 miles, (40 kilometers) west of the city. There are reports that the markets in Raqqa have closed, giving speculation that the fighting is getting increasingly close to the city.

President Trump has vowed to aid the Kurdish rebels by furnishing them heavy weapons, which has angered the Turks who consider the Kurds terrorists.

To read the entire article on Fox News: click here

Damascus

Mortars Hit Russian Embassy in Damascus, Seven Injuries Reported

Syrian Forces Claim to Have Taken Damascus Suburb