At 6 A.M. (Damascus Time) on Wednesday morning, a 48 hour ceasefire was implemented in the resort-city of Al-Zabadani (Rif Dimashq Governorate) and the predominately Shi’i towns of Al-Fou’aa and Kafraya (Idlib Governorate) after successful negotiations between the Turkish and Iranian Governments concluded.

While peace reigned over the aforementioned ceasefire areas in Syria, the battle for the city of Darayya was heating up between the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Islamist rebels of Ajnad Al-Sham.

The Islamist rebels launched their assault inside the city of Darayya last week, targeting the Syrian Arab Army’s 555th Brigade of the 1st Armored Division and the National Defense Forces (NDF) at the contested Darayya Association Neighborhood and area around the Darayya National Hospital.

Following their initial assault, the Islamist militants of Ajnad Al-Sham gained considerable ground inside the Darayya Association Neighborhood, capturing a number of building blocks from the Syrian Armed Forces in a matter of 48 hours.

In response to this abrupt offensive, the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF) conducted a series of powerful airstrikes that targeted the Islamist rebels around the northwestern sector of Darayya; these airstrikes are still ongoing.

Finally, on Wednesday, one week after the Islamist rebels launched their assault, the SAA’s 555th Brigade and the National Defense Forces were able to recapture four building blocks in the Darayya Association Neighborhood, thanks in large part to the Syrian Air Force’s relentless airstrikes on Ajnad Al-Sham’s positions.

The death toll in Darayya over the last seven days has been considerably high for the Syrian Armed Forces and Ajnad Al-Sham, as a confirmed 43 SAA and NDF were considered “killed-in-action” (KIA) – the source estimated between 40-50 Islamist rebels were killed during this battle.