PHOTO: Regime troops in the al-Marj area near Damascus, December 2015


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Pictures: Protests for 2nd Friday in Row
Homs Truce Threatened as Regime Refuses Detainee Release


Assad forces defied a February 27 “cessation of hostilities” in attempts to seize opposition-held territory near Syria’s capital Damascus on Thursday.

The Syrian military again attacked northeast of the capital in the al-Marj area, with reinforcements from other parts of the country. Pro-rebel sources say the assault was repelled by Jaish al-Islam and allied rebel units.

The Assad forces have made limited gains in al-Marj in the last two weeks, following the capture of the village and airbase at Marj al-Sultan in December.

Jaish al-Islam said it held off the latest attacks from several directions on Bala and other villages
, killing more than 50 regime troops and destroying armored vehicles, including three T-72 tanks, and machine guns.

The February 27 agreement allows attacks against the jihadists of Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State, but neither group is present in the East Ghouta area near Damascus.

Despite a general reduction in violence since the cessation, there have been attacks across five provinces —- Aleppo, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, and Damascus — by pro-Assad foreign militias, the Syrian army, and regime and Russian warplanes.

In addition to the clashes near Damascus, the fighting has been most intense in northern Latakia Province as the pro-Assad forces try to reclaim the last rebel pockets in the area, putting pressure on neighboring, opposition-held Idlib Province.


Claim: Regime Offensive to Retake Palmyra from ISIS is Imminent

A Russian reporter accompanies regime forces who are reportedly closing on the Islamic State in the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

Regime supporters have proclaimed for weeks that the Syrian military is on the verge of attacking Palmyra, which was taken in an offensive by ISIS across Homs Province in May 2015.

The latest reports asserts that the Syrian military is atop Mount Qassioun, with a full view across Palmyra, famed in the Roman era as a wealthy trade city along the Silk Road.


Truce in al-Wa’er in Homs Threatened as Regime Refuses to Free Detainees

A rally in the al-Wa’er section of Homs calls for the release of detainees from regime prisons:

After years of siege and bombardment, the Assad regime agreed a truce with rebels with al-Wa’er in December. However, a member of the rebel negotiating committee said on Thursday that the deal has begun “to fall apart” and that “it is no longer in anyone’s interest to hold on” to it.

Now see Syria Feature: Homs Truce Threatened as Regime Refuses Detainee Release


Picture: Children in Besieged Darayya Form SOS Message to World

Children in the besieged town of Darayya, southwest of Damascus, form an SOS message to the world:

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Women and children protested this week over the failure to provide aid to Darayya, blockaded by the Syrian military since late 2012.

Despite the cessation of hostilities on February 27, the Assad regime has continued to stall over UN requests for access to besieged areas.

See Syria Daily, March 10: Regime Defies Ceasefire in Attacks Near Damascus


Iranian General Killed

Iranian media have confirmed the death of Brigadier General Hassan Ali Shamsabadi in fighting in Syria.

The reports did not give any location. Iranian commanders and troops have led pro-Assad offensives, especially since Russian aerial intervention began September 30 and particularly on fronts against rebels and the Islamic State near Aleppo.

Since October 7, 205 Iranian troops — including at least 11 commanders — have been slain, according to the Islamic Republic’s media.