Timeline of events from January to April, showing the successful SAA operation to clear major rebel pockets in East Ghouta and East Qalamoun near Damascus
East Qalamoun capitulated in short order after Jaish al-Islam remnants there accepted deals for withdrawal and The Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo (named after a civilian killed during protests against the government in 2012) largely defected to the SAA after joining the revolution as moderate army defectors for several years. The Forces of the Martyr struggled for years on the front line with the Islamic State, helping to repel ISIS advance into western Syria at the height of it’s power. This left rebels in the pocket who remained adamant on resisting the SAA in a difficult spot. they too surrendered within days, accepting transit to Idlib province and Turkish/FSA occupied Afrin/Rojava.
Following the cessation of military action in the desert, the Tiger forces captured or recieved from the Forces of the Martyrs tremendous stock of weapons, ammunition, tanks and other armoured vehicles (alongside those given up by JAI, who had no time to destroy their equipment as they had in Douma/Ghouta)
Now that the conflict here is over, the Tiger Forces will begin to focus on retaking the rebel holdout in Hama pocket to the north, just south of rebel controlled Idlib province
and finish the rebel and Islamic State presence in Yarmouk camp south of Damascus’s city centre.
Yarmouk camp, while today a neighbourhood, began as and remains today a Palestianian populated area founded by refugees from Israel following the Arab-Israeli war in 1948. While today considered a city of 137,000 people, it is still called “yarmouk camp” on map and roadsigns. After bitter fighting in the area between Syria, it’s palestinian allies against the Free Syrian Army and it’s palestinian allies, the population has been reduced to 20,000 from fleeing civilians and war fatalities.
On April 1st 2015, the Islamic State entered the camp from the south, sparking fighting between the FSA and rebel palestinian group Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis. By the 2nd, they had complete control of the area. On the 15th, the group defected to the Syrian Armed Forces/Government. Because of infighting resulting from this and ongoing barrel bombings by the Syrian air force, the besieged civilian population is estimated to had fallen to 8000 by April 2016.
It is likely for the rebels unaffiliated with ISIS in Babbila/South Damascus to accept negotiation for surrender as they have already accepted a ceasefire as the SAA begins their assault with ISIS to their west.
(Since i was buckled into the Afrin conflict, i nearly completely missed talking about the Tiger Forces led Syrian Arab Army (SAA) operation to eradicate rebel holdouts in East Ghouta pocket and East Qalamoun.
Alot of shit happened so i tried to be brief. lol)
