Syria frees southern Damascus from IS

Updated:7 years, 5 months ago

New Delhi, May 22 (ANI): After a period of seven years, the Syrian army said that it has pushed out the last fighters of the dreaded Islamic State (IS) terror group from al-Hajar al-Aswad district in southern Damascus, according to the Syrian state TV. The Syrian army and its allies have been fighting IS terrorists for the last few weeks to reclaim a tiny enclave in al-Hajar al-Aswad and the adjacent Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, the last area outside government control in or around Damascus, reported Al-Jazeera. Before launching its anti-IS push in Yarmouk, the Syrian government forces managed to clear out other rebels from the area with military drives and evacuation deals, according to state TV. Yarmouk, the largest Palestinian camp in Syria, was under "crippling government siege" since 2012, a year after the civil war in the country began. Earlier today, the Syrian army resumed its offensive attack to reclaim the area in southern Damascus, after it evacuated a group of civilians residing there.