On Tuesday, a large force comprised of seven Islamist factions launched a fierce assault on Jobar after almost one year of besiegement by the Syrian Arab Army’s 105th Brigade of the Republican inside this city located in the collection of farms known as the “East Ghouta.”
Leading the charge in Jobar was Jaysh Al-Islam, who has been the primary force combatting the Republican Guard since the advent of the latter’s offensive inside this strategic city.
Jaysh Al-Islam was able to form a coalition of six other Islamist forces in order to retake the territory seized by the Republican Guard over the course of the year; however, this assault was unable to produce any significant gains for the Islamist groups, as the Republican Guard successfully fended off this counter-attack.
Joining Jaysh Al-Islam in this offensive at Jobar were the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra”, “Al-Itahaad Al-Islamiyah”, “‘Aadat Fasa’eel”, “Jund Al-‘Aasmat”, “Faylaq Al-Rahman”, “Liwaa Al-Qa’qa’a”, and “Al-Isalat wu Al-Tanimiyah”.
According to a military source from the 105th Brigade, Jaysh Al-Islam and their allies suffered a high casualty count while attempting to retake lost ground; specifically, the source stated that 19 enemy combatants perished during their attack on the Republican Guard in the eastern sector of the city.
At nearby Zibdeen, Jaysh Al-Islam suffered its biggest defeat of the day, as the SAA’s 4th Mechanized Division repelled the militant attack on their positions in the western farms, while also killing 27 confirmed enemy combatants.
Among the dead Jaysh Al-Islam militants identified at Zibdeen were the following: Sari Al-Shamri, Ahmad Al-Sha’eeli, Sa’eed Tayfour, Lu’ayy Al-Dalaati, ‘Abdel-Samiya Al-Kaswani, and Salim ‘Awakar.
