Regime tries to root out rebels surrounding Syrian capital
Syrian government forces began an offensive last week on the major rebel stronghold of Jobar, the closest rebel-held area to Damascus.
DAMASCUS, Syria — It seems that the Syrian regime has decided to exclude the Jobar neighborhood from the deals it made this year with the opposition in areas around the capital. On Aug. 28, government forces attacked the rebel stronghold of Jobar, near Damascus. Al-Monitor witnessed the heavy air and artillery shelling of the neighborhood as well as a massive military buildup at its entrances.
The shelling could be heard all over Damascus. Smoke filled the sky above the capital and the rockets launched toward Jobar were clearly visible to the residents of neighboring areas such as Bab Touma, al-Qasaa and Abbasid Square, one of the largest squares in Damascus. The neighborhood’s entrances were filled with army tanks and soldiers were stationed on the outskirts of Zablatani, adjacent to al-Hal market, southwest of Jobar.
