​Eastern Ghouta cut in two as Syrian army seizes ground

Syrian government forces have seized vast swathes of territory from rebels in the opposition-held suburbs of Damascus, effectively dividing the besieged enclave of eastern Ghouta in two and further squeezing rebels and the tens of thousands of civilians trapped inside.

The government, determined to wrest the suburbs from the control of rebels after seven years of war, has resorted to extreme levels of shelling and bombardment to clear the way for its troops to advance on the ground.

The campaign has so far left at least 800 civilians dead.

The state-affiliated al-Ikhbariya TV station on Wednesday broadcast live shots from the region, showing dense columns of smoke rising above the town as explosions and rockets could be heard flying overhead. Syrian state media said troops took control of the town of Beit Sawa and most of Misraba, both rebel-held communities in the heart of the enclave.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said that by nightfall Syrian government troops and allied militias had seized half of the territory held by rebels in eastern Ghouta and split the enclave in two halves, a north and southern part.

By slicing the territory, the Syrian government succeeds in severing supply routes and squeezing further the rebels inside.

Dramatic videos released by the opposition’s Syrian Civil Defence on Wednesday showed rescuers digging away rubble to rescue a dust-covered little boy and a baby girl in the town of Arbeen.

Source: theguardian