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On October 16, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and ISIS cells in the area of al-Safa agreed on a 24-hour ceasefire upon a reported request from Russia. Several Syrian sources said that the ceasefire is aimed at facilitating the ongoing negotiations to free around 30 civilian hostages, who were abducted by the terrorist group two months ago.
Few hours after the beginning of the ceasefire, a group of ISIS snipers attacked a position of the SAA’s 9th Division around al-Safa injuring several soliders. The violation led to a direct response from the SAA that shelled several positions of the terrorist group, according to the al-Suwayda 24 blog.
A source familiar with the situation in al-Safa told the Syria-based blog that despite the violation, the ceasefire continued successfully. The current calmness around the area suggests that the ceasefire may be extended for another 24 hours.
Syrian opposition activists revealed few days ago that ISIS demanded the release of around 2,000 female prisoners in exchange of the civilian hostages. It is not clear yet if the Damascus government has agreed to this demand, but the upcoming hours may witness such a deal.
Without a map, it is difficult to understand the real position of SAA forces on ground. Now, if Al-Safa is totally surrounded by SAA, how in the world do terrorists can be supported themselves or travel outside ?