The Russian state-run news agency TASS reports (source):
Moscow does not see the Syrian army’s operation in Eastern Ghouta as a move running counter to the latest UN Security Council resolution on Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
She recalled that the Syrian army had launched a large-scale counterterrorism operation in Eastern Ghouta in response to daily artillery bombardments of the central districts of Damascus “with a view to eliminating he threat to local residents’ security emanating from there.” “Russia does not view Damascus’ counterterrorism operation as contravening the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2401 passed recently and supports the fight against terrorists in Eastern Ghouta by the actions of its Aerospace Forces,” Zakharova stressed.
“Paragraph 2 of this resolution clearly states that the cessation of hostilities does not extend to military operations against ISIL (former name of the Islamic State terror group), Al Qaeda, Jabhat al-Nusra (these terrorist organizations are outlawed in Russia) and other terror groups labeled as such by the UN Security Council,” she noted. “Simultaneously, in coordination with the Syrian authorities, all possible measures ae taken to avoid casualties among civilians who are used by terrorists as a human shield.”
Militants continue to control 80 square kilometers in Eastern Ghouta or about one-third of this area located along the Damascus-Homs highway. On March 4, a spokesman for the Syrian armed forces told the SANA news agency that government troops continue military operations against terrorists during the breaks between the humanitarian pauses declared at Russia’s initiative. They are in effect from 09:00 (10:00 Moscow time) to 14:00 (15:00 Moscow time) local time. They are called to “facilitate civilians’ evacuation from the districts controlled by armed gangs,” he stressed.
On Sunday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told reporters in Damascus that “the Syrian army would pursue terrorists in Easten Ghouta but, at the same time, will observe the agreed humanitarian pauses for civilians’ evacuation.”
So only one third left to liberate. This has been unbelievably fast. I was optimistic about full liberation but even by over optimistic standards this is above and beyond.
It has been fast bc militants are pulling back into built up areas. The progress will inevitably slow down; it already has.
I fear what may happen as Syrian forces attempt to enter those areas of E Ghouta that are more densely populated. The old, the sick, women and children will inevitably be deployed as “human shields” by Jihadis with consequent loss of human life. Those despicable terrorists who make claim to Islam will account for their multiple sins and depredations before God soon enough. Their western suppliers and enablers may have to wait a little longer for their accounting but account for their sins they will.
The militant’s fallback is however into built up urban centres of Jobar and Douma where it is dense and entrenched urban setting. That is difficult battle scenario for SAA and will slow things down – unless can negotiate them out of there. But in another development civilians in East Ghouta have been protesting the militants and have raised the Syrian national flag in at least one city district.
The victory in East Ghouta is a long time in the making and a long time in coming..
The tortured civilians that have lived under the control of the psychotic US “terrorists” are about to be freed….
Unfortunately, it appears that Uncle Sam Trump has decided that he will bomb Syrian State Forces on foot of unsupported allegations made by Jihadis & White Helmets in recent days that Chemical Weapons have been used by Syrian State Forces in their bid to reclaim Eastern Ghouta.
blabla at trump! obama have wig yello!!
In case you hadn’t noticed, Trump is the President of the US and Commander-in-Chief of all US Armed Forces. It was Trump who tried to rain down Missiles on Syria early last year and it is he who will do so again in a vain attempt to deflect criticism from him at home
Keep moving fast, strong, without mercy, without deals, and without putting attention to western cry for their terrorists. Syria-Hezbolah-Russia-Iran ground troops and Russia aerospace forces can do it even better. Just do it.
the Syrian army should destroy terrorists in Eastern Ghouta asap