By the Syrian Presidency Office, click to see the full-size image
On March 18, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad visited frontlines in the East Ghouta region, the Syrian Presidency Office reported. During his visit, al-Assad met with several officers and soldiers of the Syrian Republican Guard.
“Every bullet you fired to kill a terrorist, you were changing the balance of the world with it … Each tank driver was moving one meter forward, he was changing the political map of the world,” al-Assad told a gathering of Syrian officers and soldiers according to the Syrian Presidency Office.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCfJ3aeNdQ
Later, the Syrian president met with civilians who had been recently evacuated by the Syrian Arab Army and its allies from the militant-held areas in the East Ghouta region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcR9FJbl6Gs
Syrian pro-government activists viewed al-Assad’s visit as a “declaration of victory” in the ongoing battle in the East Ghouta region. Previously, Al-Assad visited several areas right before its liberation, including the key district of Baba Omro in the city of Homs and the Daraya district west of Damascus.
Earlier, several Syrian pro-government and opposition sources reported that the Damascus government and militants in East Ghouta had been about to reach an evacuation deal. The Ministry of Defense of Russia also revealed that more than 68,000 civilians had been evacuated from the militant-held areas.
These developments suggest that the battle in the East Ghouta region is about to end. However, radical elements among the militants can for sure sabotage any peaceful efforts, as they had done many times before.
Photos of al-Assad’s visit to East Ghouta:
By the Syrian Presidency Office, click to see the full-size image
By the Syrian Presidency Office, click to see the full-size image
By the Syrian Presidency Office, click to see the full-size image
By the Syrian Presidency Office, click to see the full-size image
By the Syrian Presidency Office, click to see the full-size image
