Syrian National Defense Forces Captures Border-Crossing into Lebanon

One week after citizens took to the streets in protest in the Rif Dimashq village of Beit Sahm, the Al-Nusra Front (Jabhat Al-Nusra) has withdrawn all of its contingents entrenched inside this reconciled area. The citizens of Beit Sahm were unhappy with the breach of the reconciliation agreement that led to increased violence inside the village; this was the major driving force behind the demonstration.

With internal violence between Jaysh Al-Islam (Army of Islam) and Jaysh Al-‘Ummah (Army of Unity) intensifying in the rebel-held city of Douma, the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard (Harss Al-Jamhouri) has gone on the offensive near the Central Prison, targeting this area from the south. Violent firefights were reported south of the Central Prison, after the 105th Brigade reportedly started their offensive against the Jaysh Al-Islam fighters in its vicinity.

The National Defense Forces (NDF) has captured the road west of Deir ‘Attiya and secured the border-crossing into Lebanon from the Qalamoun Mountains after fierce firefights with the Al-Nusra Front militants holed-up in this area. This is great news for the loyalist forces, as they secure another border-crossing into Lebanon.