Cautious calm dominates the countryside of both Damascus

A state of cautious calm dominates the eastern and southern fronts of Damascus’ countryside, as the governmental troops managed to achieve notable progress during the recent days. According to sources, the frequency of confrontations has decreased significantly on the direction of the Shomariya mountain range in the eastern countryside of the Syrian capital.
A state of cautious calm was set along the seam lines in Homs’ northern countryside without any violations committed by armed terrorist groups. Syrian government forces and their affiliated militias managed, on Sunday, to recapture several areas near the city of Maskana, east of Aleppo, Qasioun News reported.
The Syrian regime forces managed to retake the areas of Maskana Train Station, Khirbet al-Far, al-Masaken and al-Sukariyah, after fierce battles with the Islamic State group, amid mutual rockets and artillery shelling, but no casualties were reported.
Meanwhile, Russian Aviation conducted air strikes on the residential neighborhoods in the cities of Maskana, al-Hamidiyah and al-Tayiba, inflicting material damage to the areas without causing any casualties.
Noteworthy, Syrian regime forces and their affiliated militias reached the northwestern outskirts of the city of Maskana, the last stronghold of the Islamic State in eastern Aleppo. A civilian was killed and others were wounded in a bomb blast in the road linking between the western Maliha and Nahta, east of Daraa, while army troops shelled the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad, Qasioun News Agency reported on Sunday.
The news agency revealed that a bomb blast hit the road linking between the western Maliha and Nahta, east of Daraa, killing a civilians and wounding others. Meanwhile, Syrian government forces shelled, using tanks and heavy weapons, the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad, inflicting material damage on the areas.
The army troops also shelled al-Sad neighborhood in Daraa al-Balad, using ground-to-ground missiles, injuring a number of civilians. Noteworthy, some areas in Daraa are witnessing several blasts and assassinations against security members, media officials and civilians, leaving many casualties.
Clashes broke out, on Sunday, between the Syrian opposition and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Sheikh Eissa area, north of Aleppo, amid mutual shelling, Qasioun News Agency reported. The clashes were followed by a shelling carried out by the artillery of the Turkish Army on the headquarters of the Syrian Democratic Forces, north of Aleppo, while the latter shelled the opposition headquarters using mortar shells.
Yesterday, clashes also broke out between the opposition and the Syrian Democratic Forces in Darat Izza town, west of Aleppo, and Sheikh Eissa and Ayn Dakna villages, north of the city, amid mutual shelling. Furthermore, Syrian Democratic Forces shelled the city of Mare’, yesterday, killing a civilian and wounding others.
On the political side, Secretary of Defense James Mattis said on Sunday the US had “accelerated” its tactics against the Islamic State, moving from a policy of “attrition” to one of “annihilation”. The retired Marine Corps general also said “civilian casualties are a fact of life in this sort of situation”, adding: “We’re not the perfect guys, but we are the good guys. And so we’re doing what we can.”