Syria’s Protection Ministry dismissed claims on Saturday that the nation’s army forces had withdrawn from rural Damascus, labeling the stories as a part of a “disinformation marketing campaign” supposed to create panic. In line with a press release from the ministry, the Syrian military remained totally deployed in rural Damascus and was able to confront any “terrorist aggression.”
The clarification got here amid a number of stories suggesting that authorities troops had pulled again from a number of positions in southern provinces, together with Quneitra and Daraa close to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, in addition to Sweida. These stories indicated a shift in management, with insurgent forces making important developments.
In Daraa, opposition fighters reportedly managed to push inside 20 kilometers of Damascus after seizing quite a few army posts. Some authorities forces had been both persuaded to give up or defect. By late Friday, opposition teams claimed to have taken management of Daraa metropolis, the provincial capital.
In the meantime, in Sweida, native armed factions had been mentioned to have launched prisoners who weren’t concerned in felony actions. Negotiations had been reportedly underway for the withdrawal of presidency forces from key army intelligence branches within the space. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based conflict monitor, highlighted these developments, which have been a part of the continued territorial clashes between authorities forces and insurgent teams, significantly Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, since late November.
The state of affairs stays tense because the battle intensifies, with each side persevering with to vie for management of strategic territories. Regardless of the stories of withdrawal, the Syrian Protection Ministry maintains that the military is firmly in management and dedicated to defending the nation towards any exterior threats.