Operation Featherweight: Month 50, Week 1, Day 7.

A direct continuation of; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2018/08/operation-featherweight-month-50-week-1.html

In that post I identified the Central Syria area. This makes up the bulk of Syrian territory and is under the control of the Syrian government. I also identified two pockets within that Central Syria area which remain outside of the control of the Syrian government;

The area in the Syrian desert around the Bobby Sands base at al-Tanf which remains under ISIL control.

The East Ghouta area which encompassed the East Ghouta suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus, the East Qalamoun Mountains and the Yarmouk Camp for Palestinian refugees. These areas were under the control of a mixture of the Army of Conquest and ISIL.

In late February 2018 the Syrians launched an operation to liberate the East Ghouta suburb itself. This operation ended in success on April 12th (12/4/18). The Army of Islam faction of the Army of Conquest surrendered surrendered the town of Douma placing the entire East Ghouta suburb under Syrian control.

While conducting operations within the East Ghouta suburb the Syrians were also attempting to regain control over the East Qalamoun Mountains.

As it has been across Syria the Syrians objective in the East Qalamoun Mountains was to regain control with the minimum of violence and loss of life. This meant that prior to any fighting the armed groups were offered the chance to surrender and that offer remained on the table throughout.

Under the terms of what is really that standard surrender offered by the Syrians members of any armed groups would be granted amnesty.

That meant they would not be arrested or imprisoned. They wouldn't even have to disband as a military force. However they would need to make amends for their past crimes by fighting on behalf of the Syrian government in what are termed; "Amnesty Battalions."

Groups who did not wish to join the Amnesty Battalions were instead given the option of being transferred to another part of the country. Once they had disarmed and disbanded as a fighting force.

As the fighting raged in East Ghouta itself negotiations were taking place with different groups in the East Qalamoun Mountains over these surrender options. Following the Army of Islam's defeat in East Ghouta itself the groups in the wider Army of Conquest surrendered the East Qalamoun Mountains with the minimum of resistance.

On April 15th (15/4/18) the Army of Islam along with the FSA fragments the Ahmad al-Abo Martyrs Brigade/Faylaq Ahmad al-Abo and the Lions of the East Army/Jaish Osoud al-Sharqiya surrendered a number of areas. These included the main towns of Dumair, Ruhayba and Nasiriyah.

On April 17th (15/4/18) the Army of Islam formalised their surrender in those areas. Agreeing to transfer to Jarablus within the Garvaghy Road area. The Lions of the East Army also formalised their surrender agreeing to join the Amnesty Brigades.

Despite giving up territory the al-Abo Martyrs however pledged to continue fighting as part of the Army of Conquest. On April 18th (18/4/18) the al-Abo Martyrs even went so far as to assassinate Shaher Jumea who had been negotiating with the Syrians on their behalf.

The transfer of the Army of Islam began on April 19th (19/4/18). By the time it was completed on April 22nd (22/4/18) 6,500 fighters plus their families had been transferred to the Garvaghy Road area. During this period there was little in the way of any fighting.

On April 21st (21/4/18) all armed groups in the East Qalamoun Mountains including the al-Abo Martyrs formally surrendered. They agreed to be transferred to the Garvaghy Road and the Sudetenland areas. Completed on April 23rd (23/4/18) this saw around 3,200 fighters plus their families transferred.

On April 25th (25/4/18) Syrian forces formally entered and raised the Syrian national flag over the towns of Ruhaybah and Jayroud. This marked the complete and total liberation of the East Qalamoun Mountains area.

The Battle of East Ghouta saw all the Islamist groups unite to attack Syrian forces across the country. In an effort to support the Army of Islam in the battle by dividing the Syrian forces.

This Islamist alliance included ISIL who began attacking the Syrians from the Yarmouk Camp for Palestinian Refugees. On March 16th (16/3/18) the Syrian lines around the Yarmouk Camp collapsed allowing ISIL to take control of the adjoining al-Qadam district to the west and the adjoining Hajar al-Aswad district to the south. Both of which are districts of Damascus itself.

On April 15th (15/4/18) the Syrians began an operation to recover the al-Qadam and Hajar al-Aswad districts and to expel ISIL from the Yarmouk Camp completely.

Any attempt to fight a battle within the Yarmouk Camp was always going to be particularly challenging. As with the Old City districts in Raqqa or Mosul it is a tightly packed maze of narrow alleyways and chaotic side streets. It has only three of what would normally be considered roads meaning that you cannot use tanks and armoured vehicles.

Instead troops on foot have to comb through it room-by-room, house-by-house, street-by-street in slow moving and intense fighting. Although its probably not something anyone wants to dwell on many of those killed during the fighting in the Old City districts of Raqqa and Mosul were not shot or blown up. Instead they were stabbed or beaten to death in bloody bare-knuckle fights.

Added to that in ISIL you have an enemy that thinks nothing of rigging the buildings in a street with explosives. Then detonating those explosives in order to demolish the buildings onto advancing troops and civilians being held prisoner.

So in order to avoid that bloodshed and destruction the Syrians began their operation with shelling and airstrikes as a show of force. That show of force was accompanied by an offer to transfer the roughly 1,200 fighters plus their families to either the Sudetenland or the pocket in the Syrian desert.

Sadly that offer was rejected by ISIL and ground operations began on April 20th (20/4/18).

The other problem presented by the Yarmouk Camp is that it was surrounded on two sides by areas under the control of the Army of Conquest. The al-Tadamon district to the north-east and the Yalda district to the south-east.

As such the first day of fighting was focused on the al-Tadamon district in order give the Syrians access to the camp itself and cut the camp off from the Yalda district. On that first day of fighting Syrian forces were able to liberate the Iman Ali Mosque prompting a surrender of the Army of Conquest groups in the al-Tadamon district.

The Syrian operation was in fact being led by Palestinian groups. Most notably the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA). The military wing of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.

On April 23rd (23/4/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies opened up a new axis to the south-east of the Yarmouk Camp. This focused on the Zein neighbourhood which divides the Yalda district and the Hajar al-Aswad districts. They were quickly able to liberate the Mujaheddin Mosque.

In response to these losses ISIL shelled the Qudsayya suburb of Damascus in an effort to kill and injure civilians.

On April 24th (24/4/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies opened a third axis at the Qadam district to the west. They rapidly liberated the al-Baradi and al-Baradat neighbourhoods. This effectively cut the Qadam district in half giving them access to the Hajar al-Aswad district and the Yarmouk Camp through the Jorah Groves.

In response to these loses ISIL shelled the Nahr Aisha district of Damascus in an effort to kill and injure civilians.

On April 26th (26/4/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies opened a fourth axis at the south-west of the Qadam district. Specifically at the Madaniyah neighbourhood. They also called upon the Army of Conquest to surrender their positions in the Yalda district.

On April 27th (24/4/18) the Army of Conquest did give the Syrians and their Palestinian allies permission to enter the Yalda district but stopped short of surrendering. The Syrians and their Palestinian allies also made progress in the Madaniyah, al-Jouli and al-Asali neighbourhood of Qadam district allowing them to progress in the north-east of the Yarmouk Camp along the 30th Street Road.

In response to these loses ISIL shelled the Bayader Nadir district of Damascus in an effort to kill and injure civilians.

On April 30th (30/4/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies broke ISIL's lines in the Madaniyah neighbourhood of Qadam district.

This triggered a largescale collapse in ISIL's defences which saw them withdraw entirely from Qadam district into the Yarmouk Camp. Allowing the al-Jouli and al-Asali neighbourhoods to come completely under the control of the Syrians and their Palestinian allies.

Having been forced to retreat into the Yarmouk Camp at the north-west ISIL then launched an attack from the south-east of the camp. On Army of Conquest positions in the Yalda district.

This prompted the Army of Conquest to formally surrender to the Syrians.

Under the terms of the surrender Al Qaeda fighters plus their families would be transferred to the Sudetenland. Army of Islam fighters plus their families would be transferred to Garvaghy Road. FSA fragments such as the Army of al-Ababil/Jaish al-Ababil would be transferred to Daraa Province in the Yarmouk River Basin area.

By May 1st (1/5/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies had made progress along the 30th Street Road and consolidated the positions surrendered by the Army of Conquest. Together these gains put them in control of around 20% of the Yarmouk Camp and surrounding districts.

On May 3rd (3/5/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies liberated the Younis Hospital, the Telephone Exchange building and Munif Enadi School. These all sit on the east-to-west portion of the 30th Street Road. Meaning that the Syrians and their Palestinian allies had succeeded in cutting the Yarmouk Camp off from the Hajar al-Aswad district.

May 3rd (3/5/18) also saw the start of the transfer of around 4,000 Army of Islam fighters plus their families to the Sudetenland and around 2,700 Army of al-Ababil fighters plus their families to Daraa Province. However on May 4th (4/5/18) the Army of al-Ababil changed their minds and decided to join the Syrian Amnesty Brigades instead. The transfer of the Army of Islam was completed on May 8th (8/5/18).

On May 8th (8/5/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies declared the southern half of Hajar al-Aswad district to by fully liberated. Leaving only the northern half of the district to be liberated before they could enter the Yarmouk Camp from the south.

On May 9th (9/5/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies liberated the Japanese Hospital and Sports Town complex. These sit at the south-eastern tip of the Yarmouk Camp bordering the Yalda and al-Tadamon districts.

These gains were celebrated by the announcement of a formal agreement between the Syrian government and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) to rebuild the camp so Palestinian refugees could return to live there.

ISIL responded to this latest round of losses by detonating a car bomb in and shelling Marjah Square in Damascus. In an effort to kill and injure civilians.

On May 10th (10/5/18) ISIL launched mortar attacks on the centre of Damascus. In an effort to kill and injure civilians. However these were widely mistaken for and indistinguishable from Israeli airstrikes which were targeting Damascus at the time.

On May 14th (14/5/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies liberated the Asuad Ibn al-Furat School, the UNRWA School, the Labour Office building, the Jazira roundabout and the Rus roundabout. These all sit either side of the 30th Street Road in both the Hajar al-Aswad district and Yarmouk Camp itself.

On May 15th (15/4/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies liberated the al-Quds Mosque and surrounding Naqab neighbourhood. This effectively marks the liberation of around 30% of the Yarmouk Camp between the 30th Street Road as it runs north-to-south and the Yarmouk Street road.

On May 16th (16/5/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies were able to declare the Hajar al-Aswad district fully liberated. ISIL responded by shelling the Victoria Bridge in the Marjah district of Damascus. This saw two civilians killed and 16 wounded.

On May 17th (17/5/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies entered the Yarmouk Camp from the Hajar al-Aswad district to the south. This meant that ISIL were under attack from all sides within the camp itself.

On May 21st (21/5/18) ISIL finally took up the offer of surrender. This saw them surrender all but their light weapons and be transferred to the small pocket within the Syrian desert.

On May 22nd (22/5/18) the Syrians and their Palestinian allies took full control of the Yarmouk Camp.

This marked the complete closure of the East Ghouta area pocket within the Central Syria area.

17:15 on 13/8/18 (UK date).