Violent clashes in the Eastern Ghouta amid continued battles between its factions
Rif Dimashq Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: clashes broke out after midnight between the regime forces and their allied militiamen on one hand and the Islamic factions on the other in Hazrama area in the Eastern Ghouta as a result of an offensive by the regime forces on the area. Casualties were reported at both sides. Simultaneously, Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham targeted with heavy machine guns positions of the regime forces and their allied militiamen in Flyta barrens mountains in the Western Qalamoun. Casualties were reported at both sides. Meanwhile, violent clashes continued till after midnight between the fighters of Al-Rahman Legion and Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham on one hand and the fighters of Jaysh Al-Islam on the other in areas in Bayt Sowa, Mesraba, and Al-Ash’ari area farms in the Eastern Ghouta, amid an exchange of targeting with heavy machine guns between both parties.
It is worth mentioning that the fighting has caused the death of at least 156 fighters of both sides since April 2017, including 67 fighters of Jaysh Al-Islam. Casualties includes 6 commanders. Specifically, the Head of the Military Service Authority, one of the highest-ranking commanders in Al-Rahman Legion, the Commander of Al-Marj Operation Room, the Chief of Staff of the 3rd Brigade in Jaysh Al-Islam, the commander of a security detachment in Al-Rahman Legion and the Head of Security in Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham in Arbin city. The fighting also resulted in tens of injuries at both sides, some of whom are in a critical condition. The SOHR also documented the death of 13 civilians at least, including two children, and tens of civilian injuries, with various degrees of severity. It also documented that the bloody fighting between Jaysh Al-Islam on one hand and Al-Rahman Corps and Jaysh Al-Fustat, formed from the members of Al-Nusra Front (Al-Qaeda in the Levant) on the other, which broke out late April 2016, resulted in the death of more than 500 fighters and the imprisonment and injury of hundreds of them at both sides in addition to the death of around 10 civilians, including 4 children, female citizens and the only gynecologist in the Eastern Ghouta.