BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:40 P.M.) – Last night, the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) launched a big offensive in southern Damascus, targeting the last areas controlled by the rebel forces in the Al-Qadam District.

Following an overnight battle with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham, the Islamic State forces managed to seize a large chunk of the Al-Qadam District that borders the western part of the Yarmouk Camp.

According to a Syrian military source in Damascus, the Islamic State was able to take control of 25 percent of Al-Qadam, which is a large portion of the district’s eastern part.

The Islamic State launched this offensive in Al-Qadam after the rebel forces agreed to hand over the district to the Syrian government in exchange for transportation to the Idlib Governorate.

For ISIS, the rebel hand over of Al-Qadam to the government is dangerous for their forces, as the Syrian Arab Army is preparing for a large-scale operation in southern Damascus.

Al-Qadam’s eastern corridor would be a launching point for the Syrian Army and their Palestinian allies, should they attack the neighboring district of Yarmouk Camp.

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Leith Aboufadel
Editor-in-Chief Specializing in Near Eastern Affairs and Economics.

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