Syrian Government: Jobar Area in Damascus Recaptured

Syrian state television announced on Monday, March 20, that government forces have regained control of areas in Damascus that were captured by armed opposition forces on Sunday. The armed opposition had infiltrated eastern Damascus through tunnels. Al-Nusra Front militants, an affiliate of al-Qaeda, managed to penetrate the 'Abbasiyin' area near Jobar in eastern Damascus in a surprise operation on Sunday. This is considered one of the largest operations by opposition groups against Bashar al-Assad in Damascus in the past two years. According to the Associated Press, Syrian state television quoted a military official, who was not named, stating that the army 'has regained all areas that the terrorists had infiltrated.' The network also reported that one of the buildings of the Russian embassy was hit by mortar fire during the clashes. Reuters also reported that heavy fighting was ongoing in Damascus early Monday morning, with fighter jets seen flying over the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, stated that heavy clashes were taking place in Jobar and Al-Ghaboun on Monday morning. Rami Abdulrahman, the head of this group, said that from dawn on Monday, heavy airstrikes targeted opposition-controlled areas in Jobar, and government forces and their allies ultimately seized the initiative. A commander from the 'Faylaq al-Rahman' group, which participated in the attack on Damascus alongside al-Nusra Front, told Reuters that this operation was conducted after losing the Qaboun and Barzeh areas in battles with government forces to counter the military pressure from the government. The Faylaq al-Rahman group is considered a branch of the Free Syrian Army. Over the past 18 months, Syrian government forces, with the support of Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah militants, have achieved significant victories. The support from Moscow and Tehran, as well as Hezbollah, for Bashar al-Assad's government has drawn criticism from several Arab and Western countries. Meanwhile, opposition forces still control the densely populated 'Eastern Ghouta' areas in the eastern outskirts of Damascus. Rebels also maintain control over areas in the south, east, and northeast of Damascus. In this context, the Syrian army claims to have 'repelled a heavy attack' in eastern Damascus.