page_title: Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018)
section_title: Douma
hierarchical_section_title: Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018) / Offensive / Douma
caption_attribution_description: فارسی: یکشنبه ششم اسفند ۹۶ برابر با ۲۵ فوریه ۲۰۱۸، ارتش سوریه عملیات گسترده برای آزادسازی غوطه شرقی در حومه دمشق را آغاز کرد و سرانجام روز شنبه بیست و پنجم فروردین برابر با ۱۴ آوریل ۲۰۱۸، در بیانیه‌ای آزادی و پاکسازی کامل آن از لوث شورشیان را اعلام کرد. English: On Sunday, February 25, 2018, the Syrian Arab Army launched a massive campaign to liberate the eastern plutonium on the outskirts of Damascus, and eventually on April 25th, April 25, April 14, 2018, a proclamation of freedom and full cleansing of insurgents was announced.
context_page_description: The Rif Dimashq offensive (February–April 2018), code-named Operation Damascus Steel, was a military offensive launched by the Syrian Arab Army in February 2018 in a bid to capture the rebel-held eastern Ghouta suburb during the Syrian Civil War. East Ghouta, a pocket of towns and farms, had been under government siege since 2013 and had been a major rebel stronghold in the vicinity of the capital of Damascus. According to the United Nations, nearly 400,000 people live in East Ghouta.
  On 14 April, the Syrian Army fully captured the Eastern Ghouta pocket. Before the offensive had concluded, the Associated Press reported that the capture of the whole rebel-held Eastern Ghouta enclave would represent one of the most significant victories for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war, and the worst setback for the rebels since their defeat in the Battle of Aleppo in late 2016. Similarly, Reuters stated the capture of Eastern Ghouta would represent the biggest prize for President al-Assad since the full recapture of Aleppo. During the offensive, one of the heaviest bombardments of the war took place with more than 1,700 people being killed by air and artillery strikes.
context_section_description: Intensive negotiations took place between the government and Jaish al-Islam, who held Douma, the last rebel stronghold in the eastern Ghouta. With no progress in talks, on 28 March, government forces announced they were preparing a "huge" operation to take the town if rebels failed to evacuate. On 1 April, government and Hezbollah sources reported that a deal had been reached between the Jaysh al-Islam rebels and the Syrian government in Douma to evacuate the wounded from the city to rebel territory in Idlib province. By this point, Faylaq al-Rahman rebels who were stranded in Douma during the offensive had already been evacuated along with hundreds of civilians. The same day, the SOHR reported a final agreement had also been reached for all rebels in Douma to be transferred to Jarabulus and Al-Bab in north-eastern Aleppo. But the political leader of Jaysh al-Islam denied that they made an evacuation deal with the Syrian government and insisted that only the injured were agreed to be evacuated. “Jaish al Islam has taken the decision to remain steadfast and the idea of leaving is not on the table,” the official said. A local council member told the press that there was no deal for rebels to leave, only "humanitarian cases". The government threatened to storm the city if rebels did not agree to surrender.
  The following day, buses arrived in Douma and the evacuation of the injured started with 1,100 rebels and their family members being transported out of the city over the next 24 hours. Some opposition activists reported that those evacuated were wounded fighters, while others said they were wounded civilians. Meanwhile, Jaysh al-Islam was reported to be divided over whether to fully evacuate the city, with hard-liners demanding they stay and fight.
  Russian Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoi told the Al-Watan newspaper on 4 April that Douma would be under the control of the Syrian government soon. Meanwhile, SOHR stated that about 2,350 Jaysh al-Islam fighters had been evacuated. A video posted on Jaysh al-Islam's social media accounts showed its religious committee’s chairperson, Abu Abdelrahman Kaaka, confirm the deal and deny disagreement between their leadership and fighters. However, evacuations were suspended on the next day. SANA stated it was due to internal disagreements within Jaysh al-Islam. SOHR stated the disagreements occurred due to measures taken by Turkish troops in areas where rebels were arriving. SANA and opposition sources stated 650 rebels and civilians were evacuated on 4 April.
  Russian and Syrian airplanes "heavily bombarded" Douma for the first time in 10 days on 6 April. SOHR stated that two civilians were killed; and SANA stated that it was in response to rebel shelling on Damascus, which had killed four. In the wake of the airstrikes, the Syrian government launched an air and ground offensive on Douma, with pro-government forces including Tiger Forces and Republican Guards  advancing in the farms outside the town. Overall, according to SOHR, 48 civilians had died in the shelling of Douma by 7 April. The stated aim of the government advance was to force Jaysh Al-Islam to the negotiations table again. Military sources said Russian and Syrian jets bombed the town again that night during a hiatus in the ground assault, with airstrikes reported into the morning of the 7th.
caption: Destroyed Jaysh al-Islam tanks in Douma, April 2018
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