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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 22 May 2018

Syrian government declares capital fully under its control

By ZEINA KARAM time in nearly seven years.
Associated Press With Iran's help, Assad's
BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's mili- forces have been making
tary on Monday captured steady gains since 2015,
an enclave in southern Da- when Russian launched an
mascus from Islamic State air campaign on behalf
militants following a ruinous of his forces. In December
monthlong battle, bringing 2016, government forces
the entire capital and its captured rebel-held east-
far-flung suburbs under full ern neighborhoods of the
government control for the northern city of Aleppo,
first time since the civil war in Assad's biggest victory
began in 2011. since the conflict began.
The gains freed President With a mix of military pres-
Bashar Assad's forces to sure and surrender deals
move with allied militiamen brokered by Russia, thou-
on remaining rebel-held sands of opposition fight-
territory in the south near ers capitulated and were
the border with Israel, as evacuated in March and
Syria's chief ally Iran comes April from Damascus sub-
under growing pressure urbs known as eastern Gh-
from the Trump administra- outa after a crushing gov-
tion to withdraw its troops ernment offensive.
from the country. In this file photo released April 30, 2018 by the Syrian official news agency, SANA, Syrian govern- Syrian troops and their allies
Iranian-backed militias, ment forces oversee a bus carrying al-Qaida-linked fighters during an evacuation from the Pal- are expected to turn their
including the Lebanese estinian refugee camp of Yarmouk. attention to opposition-
group Hezbollah, have Associated Press held parts of southern Syria,
been instrumental in help- including Daraa province,
ing Assad's over-stretched post as the top U.S. diplo- ernment and says it is fight- what was left of the resi- in a push that could bring
forces recapture huge ar- mat, he issued a list of de- ing "terrorism" in the form of dential area on the edge allied Iranian forces even
eas around Damascus and mands that he said should Islamic extremists, including of the capital, once home closer to the increasingly
in the country's center and be included in any new the Islamic State group and to about 200,000 Palestin- tense frontier with Israel.
north, building a military nuclear treaty with Iran, in- al-Qaida. ian refugees. Idlib, in the north, remains
presence that has alarmed cluding that it "withdraw all Iranian Foreign Minis- The camp has been desert- a major rebel bastion, but
Israel and its U.S. ally, which forces" from Syria, halt sup- try spokesman Bahram ed by most of its inhabitants government forces are ex-
is now looking to constrain port for Hezbollah and stop Ghasemi told reporters that following years of siege, pected to leave that con-
Iran's activities. threatening Israel. no one can force Tehran to and the few remaining resi- frontation to a later stage.
Iranian officials have Iran and Russia have joined do anything it doesn't want dents fled to nearby areas Israel has warned Iran and
vowed to stay on in Syria forces in Syria, providing to do. in the last days of the bom- its proxies to stay away from
for as long as needed, set- crucial military support to "Our presence in Syria has bardment. the border and has car-
ting the stage for a poten- Assad's forces and giving been based on a request The last push on the Yar- ried out a series of airstrikes
tial confrontation as Wash- them the upper hand in the by the Syrian government mouk camp came after on Syrian air bases where
ington seeks to tighten the civil war. and Iran will continue its a group of civilians was it believes Iranian troops
screws on Tehran following Russian President Vladi- support as long as the Syr- evacuated overnight. maintain a presence. Ear-
the U.S. withdrawal from mir Putin told Assad at a ian government wants," he State TV showed images of lier this month, it launched
the 2015 Iran nuclear deal meeting last week that a said, speaking shortly be- troops moving in, waving a blistering bombardment
brokered with Iran under political settlement in Syria fore Pompeo made his re- the Syrian flag and flashing of Iranian positions in Syria
President Barack Obama should encourage foreign marks. victory signs atop wrecked after an alleged Iranian
and world powers. countries to withdraw their The recapture of IS-held buildings in the destroyed rocket barrage toward its
U.S. Secretary of State Mike troops from Syria. Putin's pockets in the Palestinian neighborhood. Some fired positions on the annexed
Pompeo threatened Iran envoy to Syria, Alexander refugee camp of Yarmouk in the air in celebration. Golan Heights.
with the "strongest sanc- Lavrentyev, said Putin was and the nearby Hajar al-As- The move boosts morale Gen. Ali Mayhoub, a Syrian
tions in history" if Tehran referring to Iranian forces, wad district in southern Da- and security in Assad's seat army spokesman, declared
doesn't change course. In among others. mascus came after a mas- of power, putting it out of Damascus and its surround-
his first major foreign policy Iran says it is in Syria at the sive bombing campaign range of insurgents' mortar ings "completely secure" on
speech since taking the behest of the Assad gov- that has all but decimated fire and shells for the first Monday.q