Hussam Muhammed, Baladi News, Damascus Countryside
Syrian forces backed by Afghani and Lebanese militias have launched a new battle to divide Eastern Ghouta. A strategy which will isolate rebel-held areas from one another, in a similar scenario to what happened in western Ghouta months ago when regime forces succeeded in separating the cities of Darayya and Muadamiyat Al-Sham to destroy them one after the other.
Regime forces in Eastern Ghouta exploited the conflict between the parties in the area and the internal fighting taking place to intensify the battels of "slow annihilation and acquisition of lands ", in which regime's forces managed to advance more than 2000 acres of agricultural land over the past few periods, according to field sources.
The strategy applied in Eastern Ghouta is a "déjà vu" to what the Syrian regime had done in Western Ghouta . A plan that focuses on intensifying shelling and air raids on a specific area of lands to pave the way for armored vehicles and mine sweepers to advance with the infantry a few meters every day, then setting up solid barricades and Chilka vehicles in the areas they made progress in.
The regime and its allied militias managed in the last ten days to seize control of Al-Rakabia area, parts of Al-Bayyad area, parts of Zabdin town, and military points from the rebels battalion in "Noula" and others.
Regime forces advancement is taking place while leaders of military factions in Al-Ghouta are in an astonishing state of inaction and slackness toward the current threatening situation ! A repetition of past mistakes of Darayya and Al-Muadamieh.
If the regime forces continued their current tactic, it means that the areas of Eastern Ghouta will suffer intense bombardment and severe starvation and in both cases the regime is seeking concessions from military formations and civilians as well as signing reconciliation with them.