Syrian Government Regains Control of Damascus District

Syrian government forces regained complete control of the besieged Barzeh district of Damascus following the final evacuation of rebel fighters and their families to northern Syria on Monday, Reuters reported.

Over 1,000 people, reportedly including 455 fighters and their families, boarded buses to transport them out of the besieged suburb. Most of those evacuated were to be moved to rebel-held areas of the northwestern province of Idlib, while some were heading to Jarablus, an area in northern Syria controlled by Turkish-backed rebels.

The latest wave of evacuations, which follows weeks of mass transfers from the adjacent Qaboun and Tishreen districts, sees government forces moving even closer to gaining complete control of the capital for the first time since 2013.

The only areas in Damascus that remain outside government control are the eastern rebel-held Jobar district, the southern Tadamon and Hajar al-Aswad neighborhoods and the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk.

Last week, the government gained complete control of Homs city after evacuating 3,000 residents, including 700 fighters and their families from al-Waer, the last remaining rebel-held neighborhood in the city.

Iraqi Paramilitaries Reach Syria Border

Iran-backed Iraqi militias drew closer to their aim of linking up with pro-Syrian government forces on Monday as they reached the Iraqi border with Syria, Associated Press reported.

The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighting the so-called Islamic State reached the Iraq border after pushing militants out of a nearby Iraqi village.

“This will be the first step to the liberation of the entire border,” Ahmed al-Asadi, the PMF spokesman, told AP. “This victory will also be an important incentive for the Syrian Arab Army to secure the entire border from the Syrian side.”

PMF fighters are attempting to cross into Syria to support Iran-backed militias in Syria, as well as the Syrian army and allied forces, in their push toward ISIS-held territory in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor.

Pro-government forces in Syria have also been moving towards the Iraqi border in recent weeks, but their advance has been slowed down by the presence of U.S.-backed rebels and ISIS militants in the area.

Macron Draws Red Line in Syria

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that France would retaliate against the use of chemical weapons in Syria, Al Jazeera reported.

“Any use of chemical weapons would result in reprisals and an immediate riposte, at least where France is concerned,” Macron said after his first meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Paris.

The statement comes in light of last month’s series of missile strikes on a Syrian military airbase, ordered by U.S. president Donald Trump in retaliation for a chemical attack that Washington blamed on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government.

France’s new president also said that Russia and France should increase cooperation and intelligence-sharing in Syria to fight terrorist groups.

“Our two countries will cooperate on Syria; this is essential,” Macron said. “We need strong cooperation because we have a joint priority, which is the fight against terrorism.”

Monday’s comments are the strongest indication yet of what the French government’s policy toward Syria will be under the new president.

Recommended Reads:

• AFP: Syria War Takes Role in Ramadan Television Dramas
• Al Monitor: Turkey Making Itself at Home in Syria
• BBC News: Syria Surgeon Describes Warzone ‘Evils’ at Hay Festival
• New Statesman: Guns and Bullets and Nothing More: The Syrian Kurds Fighting ISIS
• TRT World: Turkey-Backed Opposition to Form New Army in Northern Syria