Syria Feature: Rebels Defeat Another Regime Attack in Damascus

PHOTO: Jobar in northeast Damascus

Abdurahman Harkoush, a citizen journalist in Damascus, writes for EA:

Rebels have defeated yet another attack by the Syrian army on Jobar in northeast Damascus, killing 15 regime troops on Sunday.

Jaysh Al-Islam, the main rebel faction in Syria’s capital, said the offensive was begun with heavy bombardment on Friday, using rockets, artillery, and even chlorine gas. Despite the barrage, rebels were able to counter the attempted advance on the ground, killing and wounding dozens of attackers.

Rebels with light weapons face an attacking regime tank:

The Assad regime has tried for months to clear all rebels from Jobar, about 80% of which is held by the opposition. The Syrian military hopes to push back Jaish al-Islam and its allies to make shelling of the center of Damascus more difficult.

However, the ground offensives have made little progress. An assault at the end of June ended with casualties which included a commander and members of the Republican Guard.

See Syria Daily, July 28: Regime Fails to Advance in Northeast Damascus, Collapses in Idlib Province