Syrian Government Troops Ambush Rebels in Damascus Suburb, Ramp up Strikes on ISIS Strongholds in Raqqa

Syrian government forces and members of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group killed at least 30 rebels in an ambush in the suburbs of Damascus, AP reports.

Regime troops and rebels have been on the offensive for the past few weeks in areas near the capital “in a bid to secure President Bashar Assad’s seat of power.”

The men were killed as they tried to “tried to flee the eastern suburb of Maydaa towards the nearby area of Dumair,” according to Syrian state news agency SANA.

Further east, another seven people were killed in airstrikes carried out by the Syrian government on the ISIS strongholds in Raqqa, al Jazeera reports.

Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISIS, has been under intense bombardment by the Syrian government since Tuesday. It has been the deadliest raid by regime forces since the launch of U.S. airstrikes on the same area, killing over 135 people.

‘The U.S. said it was “horrified” by Syrian regime airstrikes in the stronghold of Raqqa, slamming the government for its “continued slaughter,”‘ says AFP.

The Syrian government has called the U.S. accusations that its forces are targeting civilians with airstrikes “a fabrication,” Reuters reports.

Syrian Rebels Push Forward in Southern Syria, Capturing a Series of Towns from Regime Forces

Syrian rebels backed by the U.S. captured a succession of towns from regime forces south of the capital of Damascus, in a bid to carve out a swath of territory “leading to the doorstep of Assad’s seat of power,” the AP reports.

“The goal is to reach the capital … because there is no way to bring down the regime without reaching Damascus,” Ahmad al-Masalmeh, an opposition activist in Daraa, told the AP. The rebels are trying to capture the village of Sheikh Maskeen and the nearby Brigade 82 base, which would bring them a step closer to securing the Damascus-Darra highway, a main lifeline for government forces.

While moderate, U.S.-backed brigades struggle against ISIS and al-Qaida in northern Syria, analysts say a show of rebel unity in the south has led to a surge in momentum there.

“The rebel offensive could eventually link opposition fighters’ positions in Daraa and Quneitra with Damascus’ rebel-held Ghouta suburbs,” writes the AP.

Despite the rebel advance, Assad forces remain strong in the capital area, holding bases in critical locations and exerting a significant control over the city of Daraa and the Daraa-Damascus highway — what’s been called “the spine of the province.”

But analysts are skeptical that the offensive in the south will completely loosen the regime’s grip on power. Opponents of the U.S.-led strikes say that Assad has benefited from the focus on ISIS, “which has had the side effect of freeing up Assad’s forces to focus on more moderate rebels elsewhere in the country.”

Syrian Residents Skeptical of U.N. Cease-fire Proposal

Syrian residents are skeptical of the U.N. proposal to set up local truces in “freeze zones” to cease fight fighting and allow aid into opposition-held territory, Reuters reports.

“We cannot trust any initiative,” said Safi al-Masri, a 25-year-old Aleppo resident. “We consider this initiative far from humanitarian after all the Syrian blood that’s been spilled.”

The government has voiced its interest in the proposal, but diplomats and analysts doubt its sincerity “and say Aleppo could face the same fate as the central city of Homs, where government forces have largely regained control.”

“In general, the regime agrees to cease-fires to cement a military victory or to enable the movement of supplies or redeployment of forces elsewhere,” said Noah Bonsey, a senior analyst on Syria at the International Crisis Group.

According to Reuters, the prominence of Jabhat al-Nusra could further complicate cease-fire talks. The U.S. has blacklisted the group, but it has played a significant role in fighting alongside other rebels against the regime. The group has reportedly now become suspicious of Western-backed groups since it was the target of U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria.

Aleppo is a major battleground for both the regime and opposition. Aleppo has been divided between government and rebel forces for over two years. It is now close to complete siege by Syrian government forces.

Recommended Reads:

• Washington Post: Lebanese Sunnis Who Fought in Syria’s War are Returning Home Radicalized
• AFP: Danish Syria Fighters ‘On Benefits While Fighting for ISIS’
• New York Times: Conflicting Policies on Syria and Islamic State Erode U.S. Standing in the Mideast
• Reuters: Islamic State Lacks Funds to Keep Control of Iraqi, Syria Territory: Experts

Photo Credit: Courtesy of AP Images