28 Terrorist Commanders Surrender to Syrian Army in Zabadani

Over two dozen foreign-backed terrorist commanders surrendered to the government troops in Zabadani region in the Damascus countryside.
A sum of 28 militant commanders laid down arms and surrendered to the Syrian authorities on Monday.

The terrorist leaders’ surrender came after ceasefire negotiations between the militants and the Syrian government in Zabadani failed.

Mohammad Abolqasem, representative of militant groups in the ceasefire negotiations with the Syrian army in Zabadani, on Monday blamed the Ahrar al-Sham Takfiri terrorist group for the failure of ceasefire talks in the Southwestern Syrian city.

“The negotiations were about the safe pullout of the militants from Zabadani in the Western countryside of Damascus in lieu of transfer of civilians from the towns of Kafarya and Fuaa in Idlib to Damascus countryside,” Abolqasem told FNA.

The development came after President Bashar al-Assad in a televised address in July pardoned all soldiers who have fled the army, saying that his words served as a general decree to relevant officials.

Assad said even those who have fought the Syrian army will be pardoned. This was the third general amnesty declared by President Assad in the last four years.

On August 7, hundreds of foreign-backed militants surrendered to the government troops in Al-Qalamoun region in Damascus countryside, Syria’s National Reconciliation Committee announced.

Over 1,200 terrorists laid down arms and surrendered to the Syrian authorities late Thursday, the Syrian local sources also confirmed.

The militants also turned over their cache of ammos to the authorities, both sources added.

Hundreds of gunmen have been laying down their weapons and turning themselves in to authorities in areas across the country.

This number seems to be on the rise as the army has been making steady gains in the battlefield against the terrorist groups, recapturing an increasing number of areas, including strategic sites, which helped cut off many of the militants’ supply routes and forced them to surrender or run away.

Several groups of militants have surrendered to the Syrian army in the Damascus Countryside in the last several months. The last one of such groups gave in to the authorities in the region in mid February.