Syrian Government Army Claims to Have Captured Wadi Barada

Syrian government forces have issued a statement saying they have taken control of all areas in the Wadi Barada region northwest of Damascus, Al Jazeera reported.

“Units of our armed forces, together with … allied forces have achieved their mission in returning security and stability” in the area, said a Syrian military statement on Sunday broadcast on Syrian state TV.

The capital’s main water supply is located in Ain al-Fija in Wadi Barada, where clashes between government and rebel forces have continued despite a nationwide cease-fire established on December 30. Nearly 4 million people in the Damascus region have been without drinking water since the fighting destroyed the water plant in Wadi Barada last month.

According to the government statement, rebel fighters will withdraw from Wadi Barada, Reuters reported. Previous cease-fire attempts that would have allowed the repair of the water plant’s infrastructure have failed.

“The Syrian army has entered Ain al-Fija … and raised the Syrian flag over the spring installation,” the army statement said.

Several Islamist Factions Join Forces with Former al-Qaida Branch Amid Rebel Infighting

Several Syrian Islamist armed groups announced a merger with the former al-Qaida affiliate in Syria, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS), on Saturday, Reuters reported.

An online statement named the new union as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Liberation of the Levant Committee).

Joining the committee are Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly al-Qaida’s Nusra Front, the Nour al-Din al-Zinki group, Liwa al-Haqq, Jaish al-Sunna and Jabhat Ansar al-Din.

Clashes between JFS and more moderate rebel groups continue in northwestern Syria, after JFS attacked rebel positions in Aleppo and Idleb last week.

Russia, Saudi Arabia, Express Interest in Syria ‘Safe Zones’

Russia may support a U.S. proposal to establish “safe zones” in Syria if the Syrian government and U.N. agree, according to Russian state news agency RT.

“If this is about the people who were forced to leave their homes by the conflict, […] getting their basic needs covered, […] then I think that the idea to create areas within Syria for those internally displaced could be discussed with the U.N.’s High Commissioner for Refugees and other organizations,” said Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

The king of Saudi Arabia also expressed support for safe zones in Syria in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, Reuters reported.

“The president requested, and the king agreed, to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, as well as supporting other ideas to help the many refugees who are displaced by the ongoing conflicts,” a White House statement said.

Saudi Arabia has supported rebel factions fighting the Syrian government, while Russia is a key supporter of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

RECOMMENDED READS:

• NPR: Syrian Refugees Left With Questions After Immigration Halt
• Middle East Eye: Arab No More: Russia Plans Syria Name Change in Draft Constitution
• The Atlantic: What Trump’s Executive Order Means for the Syrian Health Crisis
• Al Jazeera: What Triggered the Infighting Among Syrian Rebels?
• The National: Capture of Syria’s Wadi Barada Unlikely to Ease Residents’ Decades-Long Suffering