Armed opposition groups on Wednesday took control of the area of Al-Rajam al-Aali in the Al-Afaae mountain range in the eastern Qalamoun area, Damascus countryside, after fighting with the Islamic State group.
The groups began to strike ISIS positions with mortars and tanks in the early morning hours in preparation for raids on recently seized areas.
The activist Naeem al-Omri from the Damascus countryside told ARA News that “after fierce battles, the rebel groups, which included Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), Ahrar al-Sham, and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly Nusra), took control of the Al-Rajam al-Aali area in the Al-Afaae mountain range in eastern Qalamoun. The fighting began in the morning after preparatory shelling targeting the Islamic State group’s positions on the eastern slopes of the Al-Rajam al-Aali area. Heavy clashes broke out and the rebel groups managed to kill and wound more than 20 fighters from the Islamic State group.”
The area has seen fighting in which ISIS has suffered a large number of dead and wounded in its ranks after it recently took control of a number of positions in the eastern Qalamoun mountain range in the Damascus countryside.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
