Syrian Army Starts Operations in Eastern Damascus after Terrorists Reject Peace Agreement
Following a two-day-long ceasefire, a Syrian government delegation met to finalize terms of the peace agreement with the rebel forces; however, Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at leaders refused to withdraw from the Eastern parts of Damascus despite the calls for peace from the residents.
Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at launched an assault on one of the Syrian army checkpoints near al-Qaboun after the government delegation asked to meet with the terrorist group’s commanders.
The attack by Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at was responded by the Syrian army’s 42nd Brigade of the 4th Mechanized Division and 106th Brigade of the Republican Guard in al-Qaboun, Barzeh and Harasta.
The Syrian army started firing advanced ground-to-ground missiles against the positions of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at on Thursday night, followed by two hours of nonstop shelling.
Late in January, Al-Nusra Front (recently renamed to Fatah al-Sham Front) and several militant groups declared forming a new coalition under the name of Tahrir Al-Sham Hay’at to narrow down widening rifts amongst their commanders and members.
The Al-Nusra Front, Nouralddeen al-Zinki Movement, Jeish al-Sonah, Jabhat Ansaraldeen and Liwa al-Haq announced that they would act under a united coalition named the Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at.
The five merged terrorist groups act under the command of Abu Jaber Hashem al-Sheikh, who was one of the commanders of Ahrar al-Sham. The new coalition led by al-Sheikh is now fighting against Ahrar al-Sham, a rival terrorist group operating mainly in Northwestern Syria.
Al-Sheikh resigned from his post in Ahrar al-Sham after he was appointed as the commander of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at.
A number of Ahrar al-Sham’s commanders, including the groups’ spokesman Abu Yusuf al-Mohajer, Hesam Salameh and Abu al-Fatah al-Farqali Mesri also joined the new coalition.
Terrorist groups’ websites claimed that Al-Nusra Commander Abu Mohammad al-Joulani will be the top commander of Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at.
Ahrar al-Sham rejected its affiliation to the new coalition, but websites close to the terrorist groups have disclosed that Ahrar al-Sham, Faylaq al-Sham, Jeish al-Izzah, Turkistani party and Liwa al-Tamkin will soon start a new front called Tahrir al-Syria Front.
Nusra terrorists have been attacking positions of other terrorist rivals across Northwestern Syria.