Syria: Rebels advance around Damascus and in southeastern Aleppo
Rebels pressed an offensive east of Damascus and in southeastern Aleppo, in an escalation that in the past three days has killed scores of fighters on both sides, a monitoring group said on yesterday.
Rebels in Eastern Ghouta east of Damascus are trying to break the army siege on opposition areas there, taking over several small villages and checkpoints, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
“In the past three days, the rebels have taken over small villages and checkpoints east of Damascus and southeast of Aleppo, after launching counter-offensives on those fronts,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
Southeast of Aleppo, rebels also battled troops after a recent advance by the army, he added.
Troops loyal to Assad had for several weeks gained the upper hand against the rebels at key battle fronts across the war-ravaged country. “Now the army is no longer advancing there,” he added.