Syria in Past 24 Hours:

Army Gives Last Ultimatum to Jeish Al-Islam to Leave Douma

Rasa - The Syrian army gave a last opportunity to Jeish al-Islam terrorists to withdraw from Douma in Eastern Ghouta amid its rapid advances in the region.

News ID: 437006

Date: 26 March 2018 - 22:19

RNA - The Syrian army gave a last opportunity to Jeish al-Islam terrorists to withdraw from Douma in Eastern Ghouta amid its rapid advances in the region.

Damascus

Military sources reported on Sunday that the army has given the last ultimatum to Jeish al-Islam to evacuate its forces from Douma and deliver its control to Damascus.

The sources said Jeish al-Islam has not accepted the Syrian army's demand yet, and the army is preparing to launch an offensive on the city if the terrorists continue denying the proposal.

Meantime, Jeish al-Islam commander Osam Bawizani sadi that the group will not retreat from Eastern Ghouta, and asked other terrorist groups to help Jeish al-Islam by launching massive operations against the army.

The army has gained control over 90% of Eastern Ghouta and Douman is the only town in the Northern parts of the region that is still under the terrorists' occupation.

Other militant groups have conceded failure and left the region after frequent defeats.

Also in the past 24 hours, nearly 1,000 militants and their family members left their last strongholds in the Southern parts of Eastern Ghouta for Idlib after an agreement between Faylaq al-Rahman militant group and the Syrian army.

Field sources reported on Sunday that 981 Faylaq al-Rahman and al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) terrorists and their family members left Arabayn, Zmelka, Ein Tarma, Hazeh and Jobar regions in Eastern Ghouta for Harasta on 17 buses through Arabayn corridor, adding that they will then be transferred to Idlib via the Water Resources corridor in Harasta.

Meantime, the Syrian army freed 8 of its forces who had been held captive by the terrorists in the town of Arabayn.

Also on Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that more than 106,000 people have left the militant Eastern Ghouta enclave on the outskirts of the Syrian capital city of Damascus ever since government forces launched a wide-scale offensive to purge the region of foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a Saturday statement that the civilians continue leaving the besieged Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta via the humanitarian corridors, adding that over 106,000 people have left Eastern Ghouta since the introduction of daily humanitarian pauses in the area, Middle East News reported.

"The civilians continue leaving Eastern Ghouta through the humanitarian corridors with the assistance of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Warring Parties," the statement added.

Syria stressed that the government's bid to secure the departure of thousands of civilians from Eastern Ghouta despite all the desperate attempts by the terrorists to prevent them from leaving exposes the lies and hypocrisy of Western countries professing concern for the civilians.

Also in the past 24 hours, hundreds of Faylaq al-Rahman and al-Nusra Front terrorists and their family members left their last strongholds in Eastern Ghouta of Damascus for Idlib as more than 500 civilians could also escape the region to the army-controlled areas.

Field sources reported on Sunday that the second group of people consisting of 889 Faylaq al-Rahman and al-Nusra terrorists and their family members left their bases in Jobar, Zmelka, Arabayn and Ein Tarma on 15 buses through Arabayn corridor.

They added that over 500 civilians have also fled Douma in Eastern Ghouta towards the army-held regions through the humanitarian corridor in al-Wafideen camp.

Aleppo

A Turkish military official confirmed full control over the town of Afrin by the Turkish army and its allied militants fighting against the Kurdish militias within the framework of Operation Olive Branch.

The source said on Sunday that the Turkish army and allied militants have imposed full control over Afrin in Aleppo province, adding that the remaining villages were captured on Saturday night, completing Ankara's control over the region.

Also on Sunday, Russian media reported that the Kurdish forces will be forced to withdraw from Manbij, Raqqa and Eastern Euphrates after occupation of Afrin by Ankara and allied militants and following a secret agreement between the US and Turkey as Washington plans to extend mission in Syria.

Russian media outlet Nezavisimaya Gazetta reported on Sunday that clashes between the Kurds and the Turkish army will likely extend to Manbij, Raqqa and the Eastern banks of the Euphrates, adding that the Kurds have retreat from the battlefield in Afrin after several days of heavy clashes and probably after the recent agreement between Ankara and Washington.

The Russian outlet added that the Kurdish units will not be allowed to remain in Manbij, and "these will be the US and Turkish military forces that will be deployed in the region.

The report claimed that the Americans have betrayed their allies (Kurds) to establish military presence of the US forces in the security region along the Turkish-Syrian borders, adding that Ankara seeks to entrust the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) terrorists group with the rule over Afrin.

The Ankara-affiliated FSA will turn Afrin into a region like Idlib which hosts all terrorist groups stationed in Syria.

Dara'a

Russia, in coordination with Damascus, is holding talks with militant groups in Dara'a to join the peace plan in Syria as Damascus troops are much likely to see the Southern Syrian regions as the target of their next major assault after the Ghouta operation.

The Arabic-language al-Hadath news reported on Sunday that the head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Southern Syria has held talks with a number of representatives terrorist groups that have occupied a number of towns and cities in Dara'a.

Based on the report, the negotiations which are aimed at implementing the peace plan to avoid war in the Southern province, include such terms as surrendering weapons to the Syrian army and a ban on the presence and movement of terrorist groups in regions that have joined the peace plan.

Also reports said on Sunday that the Syrian army will launch cleansing operations in Dara'a province further to the South once its mission is accomplished in Eastern Ghouta of Damascus province.

The Russian Center for Reconciliation declared on its facebook page on Sunday that Moscow will support the Syrian army's air and ground operations in the Southern parts of the country still under terrorists' occupation.

Meantime, the center said in another report that it is still too early to discuss a date for the Dara'a operation as negotiations with militants are underway to end their presence, and the army is still in operation against the terrorists in Eastern Ghouta.

Idlib

A huge blast rocked the base of the foreign members of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board or the Al-Nusra Front) in Central Idlib, inflicting tens of casualties on the terrorist group as infighting has heightened among rival militant groups in the region.

Field sources reported that a bomb-laden car was detonated in front of a building called 'National Salvation Government' in the Center of Idlib city on Saturday.

The sources added that the building belongs to the Uzbek militants of Tahrir al-Sham, saying that at least 15 militants were killed and tens of others were wounded in the explosion.

Tensions have intensified among the terrorists in Idlib province in recent days.

Quneitra

Two notorious commanders of the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) terrorist group were assassinated in Quneitra in Southern Syria.

According to Fars News Agancy, the dead body of one of the senior commanders of Jahbat Ansar al-Islam terrorist group affiliated to FSA named Abu Bilal was found South of the province.

The body of deputy commander of the so-called National Front to Liberate Syria affiliated to the FSA named Mohammed al-Akhtabout who was earlier abducted near al-Jamous checkpoint in Southern Quneitra was also discovered.

The terrorist-held areas in Southern Syria have recently witnessed repeated assassination of militant commanders by rival groups.

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