Syrian gov’t gains ground on 2nd day of Russian truce
BEIRUT – Reuters
Syrian government forces and allied militias gained ground yesterday in clashes with rebels in eastern Ghouta near Damascus as fighting raged despite a Russian ceasefire plan, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
The government forces advanced in the Hawsh al-Dawahira area on the eastern edge of the opposition’s besieged stronghold, the Observatory reported. The Syrian army and rebel sources could not immediately be reached for comment on the report.
The Russian plan is for daily, five-hour ceasefires in eastern Ghouta from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. But after a brief lull, the agreement collapsed into renewed bombardment on Feb. 27, the first day of the plan. Eastern Ghouta is a major target for President Bashar al-Assad.
