Major battle erupted inside the besieged insurgent-held pocket of Eastern Ghouta, on the south-eastern frindge of Damascus.
The reported developments are leaving me almost at lack of words. I'm lacking time to sort all of reports and extract the most important details, thus here 'just a collection of links' - from all possible kind of sources. The first two are Twitter-threads with plenty of details (I know, some might appear not particularly reliable, but check the content first and before gauging, please):
https://twitter.com/NatDefFor/status/858096591848308739
https://twitter.com/ModerateLoomis/s...06876034961408
...map, apparently showing the original control over the western part of Eastern Gouta by the FAR and the JAI:
https://twitter.com/ModerateLoomis/s...06876034961408
...video, purportedly showing the JAI opening fire at protesting civilians:
https://twitter.com/NatDefFor/status/858054735563280384
SOHR's report citing 74 KIA (for yesterday only):
https://twitter.com/syriahr/status/858372017262927872
...then over 90 within the first 48 hours:
https://twitter.com/sayed_ridha/stat...15936688963588
JAI captures most of the Aftris from the FAR (Faylaq ar-Rahman, an FSyA-offshot):
https://twitter.com/raedsyrian002/st...66867165114369
...HTS confirms 30+ casualties, JAI 20+, FAR ditto:
https://twitter.com/C_Military1/stat...82320477945856
JAI's statement:
https://twitter.com/jaishalislam/sta...27552373506050
...and another one, about 'extermination' of 'HTS' in Eastern Ghouta:
https://twitter.com/jaishalislam/sta...27552373506050
JAI besieging the FAR - thus leaving its units in Qaboun without food:
https://twitter.com/middleeastwars/s...81132269424640
The regime exploiting the situation for its own advance:
https://twitter.com/watanisy/status/858372757469483008
...smoke from infighting in Ghouta visible all the way to Almazza:
https://twitter.com/raedsyrian002/st...61894368931840
Overall picture seems to be as follows. There are two versions:
- The HTS says that on Friday, 28 April, a group of fighters arrived at a JAI checkpoint in East Ghouta... according to the HTS, some of the people in question were taken captive and then executed. HTS further claims that their headquarters were surrounded by JAI. Supposedly, the HTS was then put under sniper fire, which in turn hit some civilians too. According to the HTS, the JAI then broke into a number of homes, civilians were shot and/or beaten, and more civilians killed when they protested on the streets. Finally, the HTS was given 24 hours to exit the Eastern Ghouta.
- The JAI says the HTS consistently harassed convoys headed to fight against the regime in Damascus (a claim that HTS has made against JAI). Supposedly, they attempted to negotiate, but to no avail. Eventually, the JAI went into action. Today they released a separate statement which is particularly aggressive in its tune against the HTS: this is called a 'criminal faction', said it's going to be treated without any mercy, and anybody who distances from it is welcome.
Meanwhile, the JAI seems to run an 'extermination campaign' - against the HTS, foremost, but that of the FAR too.
Curiously, both of them have left the FAR out of their exchange - although the leader of the FAR was assassinated by the JAI, and a number of FAR fighters killed too.
Originally Posted by CrowBat
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