"Jaish Al-Islam allegedly reached an agreement with the government and will surrender the strategic town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta. Reports appeared amid a series of setbacks by the militants in the region. The Syrian army is now deployed in a striking distance from the town. The situation with the alleged deal will become clear in coming days.
If the agreement is reached, some part of militants from the town will be transfered to the province of Idlib and another part (who wants) will receive a pardon from the Syrian government.
The fall of Douma into hands of the Syrian army will indicate the total collapse of the militants’ defenses in Damascus’ Eastern Ghouta region." South Front
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John Kirby says that defeating the Nusra Front (by whatever name) is not a primary goal of the US. OK. In that context the R+6 is busy cleaning up pockets of resistance all over western Syria. The method seems to be to apply enough pressure on the surrounded forces to convince the defenders of the hopelessness of their position and then arrange a surrender and transport to Idlib Province west of Aleppo City for them and any civilians who want to go with them. There have been quite a few examples of this so far.
A major side benefit of this process is the re-commitment of these jihadi forces to combat in places like the western edge of the Aleppo encirclement and in northern Hama Province where the jihadis captured several villages last week.
These combats are a great opportunity to render these jihadis into martyrs. Why? It is because you know where they are when they are fighting you.
pl
https://southfront.org/militants-considering-to-surrender-in-eastern-ghouta-largest-town/
sir,
also it might be easier to bomb them once they are around Aleppo (no "human shield" for the media to cry).
Posted by: Aka | 21 October 2016 at 11:29 AM