Continued clashes in Rif Dimashq dessert and the regime forces target the Eastern Ghouta with more missiles

Rif Dimashq Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: Ahmad Al-Abdu Forces and Jaysh Usud Al-Sharqiyyah shelled after midnight some of the regime’s positions in Be’er Mahruthah area, causing the breakdown of a tank and leaving casualties at the regime’s side. Meanwhile, violent clashes continued between both parties in the area.

On the other hand, the number of missiles, believed to be ground-to-ground, fired by the regime forces before midnight on areas in Ein Tarma town and its outskirts rose to 21. However, no casualties were reported. The SOHR published yesterday that the regime forces renewed their targeting of areas at the western outskirts of the Eastern Ghouta. Specifically, they targeted with 12 missiles, believed to be ground-to-ground, areas at the outskirts of Ein Tarma town, causing material damages only. The SOHR also published yesterday that about 15 fighters of al-Rahman Corps suffered suffocations as a result of shelling by the regime force on areas at the outskirts of Ein Tarma town at the western outskirts of the Eastern Ghouta. Medical sources in the Eastern Ghouta asserted that the suffocations were caused by the dust stirred up by the shelling. The regime forces also shelled areas at the outskirts of Zamalka city, which is controlled by al-Rahman Corps. No casualties were reported. Meanwhile, clashes continued, though less violently, between the regime forces and their allied militiamen on one hand and al-Rahman Corps on the other. The SOHR also published on Saturday morning that following about one week of sporadic shelling by the regime forces, they renewed on Sunday the 27th of August 2017 their heavy targeting of the outskirts of the capital and the Ghouta. For a week, the regime forces have been targeting east of Damascus and its Eastern Ghouta using artillery shelling, mortars, tanks, and missiles, believed to be ground-to-ground. However, calm was still prevailing in between and was occasionally interrupted by such violations targeting the cities and towns of the Eastern Ghouta and areas in Jobar neighborhood, and by the exchange of fire on areas of clashes between the regime forces and al-Rahman Corps. Then, the regime forces renewed on Sunday the 27th of August 2017 their heavy targeting of the outskirts of the capital and the Ghouta. Specifically, the regime forces targeted such areas with 15 missiles, believed to be ground-to-ground. Shelling was accompanied by the most violent clashes witnessed during the past week, between the regime forces backed by their allied militiamen on one hand and al-Rahman Corps on the other in areas of al-Motahalleq AlJanobi (the Southern Bypass) from the side of Ein Tarma. It is also worth mentioning that the truce, which was expected to come into force at 9:00 pm on Friday, the 18th of August 2017, following the agreement reached between al-Rahman Corps and the Russian Forces was doomed to failure before turning into reality as a result the regime’s shelling that took place at the truce effective date and time. The SOHR published then that the Eastern Ghouta was witnessing a state of anticipation with the approach of the effective date of the new Eastern Ghouta truce, which was reached between and signed by the Russians and representatives of Al-Rahman Corps at 9:00 pm on Friday, the 18th of August 2017. Private sources confirmed then to the SOHR that al-Rahman Corps pledged to end its alliance with Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham in the Eastern Ghouta and the east of Damascus. The agreement also provided for ensuring that the ceasefire holds and then allowing the entry of humanitarian aid. The regime forces and their allied militiamen should have also lift the siege of the Eastern Ghouta, when all parties to the agreement had reflected commitment to the truce, by means of giving access to the fighters of Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham  and their families to a passage that would get them out of Idlib.