The rebel-held city of Douma was awoken on Saturday morning with the tumultuous sound of mortar shells being fired by the Syrian Arab Army’s 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard onto Jaysh Al-Islam’s (Army of Islam) positions near Ar-Rayan Farms in the east.

Reports of amassing SAA soldiers at the outskirts of Douma were revealed to Al-Masdar News on Thursday; they would begin their attack 48 hours later from 2 specific areas – Ar-Rayan Farms from the east and Douma Farms from the north.

Fierce clashes took place this morning at Ar-Rayan Farms; this was reported by a source from the 105th Brigade – he would also confirm that loyalist forces were advancing towards the city of Douma after killing a total of 36 militants from Jaysh Al-Islam.

Yesterday, the leader of Jaysh Al-Islam, Zahran Alloush, was given the news of his brother’s death (Mahran Alloush) on Thursday, following the Syrian Arab Air Force’s (SAAF) powerful assault on the rebel stronghold of Douma; this aerial bombardment was a response to the barrage of mortars and rockets fired onto the populous in Damascus.