Syria: Al-Qaboun District in Eastern Damascus Fully Cleaned Up of Terrorists

Damascus Governor General Bashr al-Saban said that 3,377 people including 1,604 gunmen left al-Qaboun district on Sunday and Monday within the framework of the second and final phase of the evacuation deal between the army and the militants.

He further said that a large number of militants, who laid down arms and joined peace with the army, received government amnesty and retuned to normal life, adding that the gunmen that had links to foreign countries, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia left the region for Northern Syria.

The Governor stressed that the area of al-Qaboun is now completely clear of terrorists after the completion of the second and final phase of the evacuation of the armed groups.

He affirmed that the engineering units started to comb the area to dismantle Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and landmines which the armed groups left behind before leaving the region.

Military Commander of the Syrian Army Brigadier General Kamal Sarem confirmed on Sunday that over 1,000 terrorists were killed in clashes with his forces in al-Qaboun district in Eastern Damascus in the last three months.

Sarem said that 1,000 terrorists were killed in al-Qaboun in Eastern Ghouta in clashes with the army soldiers, adding that the army also seized control over 25 tunnels dug by militants in the region.

A military source said meantime that after the army managed to take control over a strategic tunnel that links al-Qaboun to Eastern Ghouta, the terrorists were forced to flee towards the townships of Arbin and Harasta.

The source added that the rest of terrorists that did not flee al-Qaboun surrendered to the army men and asked for relocation to Idlib or Jarabulus in Northern Aleppo.

The source went on to say that with the army’s control over al-Qaboun, the district separated from Eastern Ghouta, adding that now the entire paths of terrorists to move towards Damascus city were cut off.