Aug 27, 2014

Clashes have flared in the city of Zabadani, located in Rif Dimashq, as Jabhat al-Nusra and other affiliated factions made progress in the region. Meanwhile, the Islamic State (IS) began mobilizing its troops to attack the airport of the northeastern city of Deir ez-Zor, and Jabhat al-Nusra is gearing up to target Mhardeh, a Christian-majority town in the countryside of Hama.

The escalation of shelling and air raids on Zabadani followed a series of confrontations and battles over the past two days. According to a local source, “Fierce battles are taking place in the eastern mountains near the Barada Valley and the Shallah region, as fighters managed to take control of the army checkpoints.”

“There was an agreement to try to reach a truce, [but it] was breached within three hours as gunmen refused to stop the clashes,” he said.

A source close to the militants said, “The military operation is led by the united army of Zabadani to break the siege on the city, as all efforts for a settlement have been curbed at the last minute.”

Militants have controlled Zabadani for more than two years. Most of the city’s residents live in the nearby towns of Madaya and Bloudan, which are linked to the Barada Valley down to Qudsayya and al-Hamah, until the Qalamoun Mountains.