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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 22 March 2017

Syrian troops respond as rebels renew attack on Damascus

country despite peace had a major effect in reduc- of the country’s popula-
talks in Europe and Asia — ing the pressure on us and tion, after an overwhelming
appears to have brought other fronts in Ghouta that Russian intervention in 2015
the factions closer togeth- have not calmed down turned the tide against ad-
er. in more than a year, and vancing rebel forces. The
Mohammed Alloush, the has contributed to scatter- government now controls
rebels’ chief negotiator ing the Assad gangs,” said the country’s five largest
with the government at Islam Army military spokes- cities.
technical talks in Astana, man Hamza Beirakdar, in a Still, the parties to the U.N.-
Kazakhstan, said his group, Twitter posting. mediated Geneva peace
the Islam Army, was pre- Jobar has been besieged process, including various
pared to send further rein- by government forces rebel factions, are expect-
forcements to the Qaboun since 2013. ed to attend the resump-
This frame grab shows fighters from Ahrar al-Sham militant group front in Damascus. The Syrian government tion of talks on Thursday, a
celebrate after they took some positions from the Syrian govern- “Opening the Jobar front holds authority over most U.N. spokeswoman said.q
ment forces, in an eastern neighborhood of Damascus, Syria.
Syrian government forces launched a counter-attack against
rebels in Damascus on Tuesday, following a rebel suicide car
bombing and another insurgent assault earlier in the day in the
country’s capital, media reports said.
(Ahrar al-Sham, via AP)

PHILIP ISSA attack launched Sunday
Associated Press stalled. That attack marked
BEIRUT (AP) — Airstrikes and the most serious infiltration
artillery fire shook Damas- of the capital, seat of Presi-
cus on Tuesday as govern- dent Bashar Assad’s pow-
ment forces tried to repel a er, in years.
second rebel attack on the On Tuesday, as on Sunday,
Syrian capital in three days. the rebels detonated a car
The military deployed tanks bomb in the eastern parts
along the city’s leafy Fares of the city before launch-
al-Khoury Avenue lead- ing their attack.
ing to the eastern Jobar On Sunday, the al-Qai-
and Qaboun neighbor- da-linked Levant Libera-
hoods, where opposition tion Committee claimed
forces have been pinned responsibility for two car
for years, and the cracks bomb explosions.
of gunfire could be heard
from Abbassin Square. The campaign brought to-
Government jets pounded gether a number of rival
the areas behind rebel factions, including the Le-
lines, according to footage vant Liberation Commit-
released by opposition fac- tee, two ultraconservative
tions, and fighters scram- factions — Ahrar al-Sham
bled between rubble and and the Islam Army — and
burning buses to take up the Free Syrian Army-affili-
positions. Smoke clouded ated Failaq al-Rahman.
the skies. Assad’s armed opponents
Syrian state media said 15 are divided over strategy,
people were wounded in with the al-Qaida-affiliated
rebel shelling across the groups preaching a con-
capital. frontational, military ap-
State-affiliated al-Ikhbariya proach against the gov-
TV said government forces ernment, and others — in-
had killed and wounded cluding the Islam Army
several “terrorists” and ar- — agreeing to political dis-
rested several more. cussions.
A broad federation of in- But the government’s own
surgent factions renewed intransigence — ratcheting
their assault on Damascus up military pressure against
on Tuesday after their first its opponents across the