Omar Al-Hassan, Baladi News, Damascus Countryside
People of the towns of Mdera and Misraba in the eastern Ghouta of Damascus countryside took to streets in a massive demonstration started from several mosques after Al-Jumaa' prayer on Friday. The demonstrators raised banners in which they denounced the ongoing infighting between Jaish Al-Islam (Army of Islam) on the one hand, and the alliance of Al-Fustat army and Al-Rahman legion from the other hand. They also called for the unification of ranks to repulse the regime and its militia in the southern sector of the eastern Ghouta.
The demonstrators headed towards the town of Hamouriyah and opened the road connecting the towns of Misraba, which is under the control of Jaish Al-Islam, and Hamouriyah, controlled by Al-Rahman legion, and removed the sand barriers between the two towns by bulldozers, according to images posted by "Syrian Correspondent" group on Facebook.
In the same context, the leadership of Jaish Al-Islam announced the release of 9 militants of Al-Rahman legion and said in its statement: "Jaish Al-Islam has been and will remain keen on the unity of ranks, responding to any initiative aiming at stopping the bloodshed. He also hopes that this step will contribute to rebuilding confidence among the combatant factions on Al-Ghouta territory".
Regime forces exploited the current disputes and infighting among the major factions and expanded their military operations in the southern sector of Al-Ghouta by putting military pressure on several axes in addition to seizing control over the towns of Deir Al-Asafir, Zabdin, Bala, and Harasta Al-Qantara, which led to displacing more than 700 families towards the central sector of Al-Ghouta.
People of eastern Ghouta, who are besieged by the regime forces and its militia, hold the revolutionary military factions responsible for the failure of the southern sector due to their infighting since 28th of last April.