Days following the Ceasefire Statement … Renewed fighting between Al-Rahman Corps and Jaysh Al-Islam

The SOHR learned from several reliable sources that sporadic clashes took place between Al-Rahman Corps and Jaysh Al-Islam at the outskirts of Al-Ash’ari Farms in the Eastern Ghouta, amid an exchange of targeting between both parties. Clashes came 72 hours following the escalating fighting between Al-Rahman Corps and Jaysh Al-Islam on one hand and Hayaat Tahrir Al-Sham on the other in areas in Al-Ash’ari Farms and in the vicinity of Al-Aftarees in the Eastern Ghouta. Reliable sources informed the SOHR that clashes caused the injury of more than 10 fighters of both sides in addition to the death of a field commander in Jaysh Al-Islam as a result of shelling and clashes.

It is worth mentioning that the SOHR published on Friday night, the 11th of August 2017, that a statement was circulated by Jaysh Al-Islam and Al-Rahman Corps to the effect that both parties will cease fire at their contact lines in areas in Bayt Sawa, Al-Ash’ari, Al-Aftarees and Modeer in the Eastern Ghouta. The SOHR had observed on the 7th of August 2017 renewed clashes between Al-Rahman Corps and Jaysh Al-Islam following days of their meeting  in which they agreed to stop the fighting, release the prisoners and stop using media as a mobilization tool. The SOHR learned that clashes were concentrated in areas at the outskirts of Bayt Sawa town and Al-Aftarees Farms in an attempt by Jaysh Al-Islam to take control of the positions of Al-Rahman Corps at both areas. No casualties were reported. The SOHR also published on the 2nd of August that a long meeting was held between the leaders of the two factions in the Eastern Ghouta, in which they agreed on certain points, the most important of which are halting the media war between both parties, in addition to putting an end to the fighting between them completely, and settling all their unresolved issues. Sources stressed that consensus was reached in the meeting between the two parties on the situation of Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham in the Eastern Ghouta, but no information has been reported so far about whether they reached a consensus on Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham itself.