The Syrian Army captured the entire rebel-held pocket in south Damascus after reaching an evacuation agreement[4]
After major advances[5][6] the Syrian Army reaches an evacuation agreement with ISIL[4]
Following ISIL's evacuation, the Syrian military fully took control of the capital and its nearby governorate after 6 years, successfully ending the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign
In March 2018, ISIL massacred dozens of Syrian soldiers in an offensive for al-Qadam.[21] On 14 April, ISIL then began an offensive on the western axis of the al-Qadam neighborhood[22] and on 15 April, ISIL's forces in the Yarmouk Camp shelled areas held by the government.[23][bettersourceneeded] On the same day, the Syrian government began redeploying soldiers from East Ghouta to the area in an attempt to surround the camp.[24][25][26]
On 19 April, after a week of intermittent escalations, the Syrian Arab Army and allied Palestinian militias launched an offensive against the ISIL-held al-Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood and the Palestinian Yarmouk Camp. Barrages of missiles and artillery shells bombarded ISIL positions in the Yarmouk Camp, Qadam, and Tadamon districts of the ISIL pocket in more than 580 air raids, with local activists reporting at least 15 civilians killed and more than 100 wounded.[27] The Russian air force also provided heavy support to the offensive.[10] Following the barrages, the Syrian Army and allies stormed the western axis of al-Qadam. On 20 April, the army captured the Imam Ali mosque in Tadamon.[28]
While state media and SOHR reported on 20 April that ISIL had agreed to surrender, fighting continued on 23 April. SOHR stated that some militants had rejected the agreement.[29] On 22 April, it was reported that the Syrian army managed to capture Al-Zain neighborhood south of Al-Hajar Al-Aswad.[30] The next day, two Army tanks were reportedly destroyed in the clashes[31] which also left three pro-government Palestinian officers dead.[31] On 24 April, the Syrian Army began dropping leaflets over Al-Hajar Al-Aswad, urging ISIL militants to surrender.[32] The army had also reportedly entered the Joura district of al-Qadam, seizing some buildings and capturing the orchards.[33]
The UNRWA reported around 5,000 Palestinians from Yarmouk were displaced to Yalda between 19 and 24 April, leaving 1,200 residents,[27] although local sources reported 2,500 families[34] or 3,000 people[35] were still there. By 25 April, local sources said that at least 20 civilians had been killed.[34] The UN described Yarmouk Camp as "transformed into a death camp", reporting thousands of homes and the last functioning hospital destroyed.[36] The UK-based Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said 60% of the camp had been destroyed in the government offensive by 27 April.[35]
On 25 April, despite facing heavy ISIL resistance, pro-government forces continued to advance on multiple axes of the pocket. Led by Republican Guard units, the Syrian Army continued their advance in the Al-Ma’edhiyah subdistrict, seizing more buildings near the Al-Asali axis.[37]
On 26 April, the ISIL-affiliated Amaq Agency reported they killed three elements of the Syrian army including a lieutenant, while the government made limited gains in al-Hajar al-Aswad. While ISIL and SAA clashed, Tahrir al-Sham units repelled a separate SAA advance in the Yarmouk Camp.[38]
On 27 April, ISIL shelled parts of the al-Qadam district. The SAA made additional advances in other areas in southern Damascus, 20 SAA soldiers were killed and 3 BMPs were damaged according to Amaq in the advances in al-Qadam. Another eight SAA soldiers were killed in advances in the al-Zayn neighborhood. On the same day, Syrian General Hassan Yusuf Mohammad was also killed in clashes in southern Damascus.[12]
Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on 28 April that the SAA had fully captured al-Qadam, Mazniyeh, Asali, and Jourah.[39] On 29 April, SANA announced that an agreement was made to evacuate Syrian opposition fighters and family members from rebel-held areas east of Yarmouk.[40] It also announced on 30 April that an agreement to evacuate civilians and fighters from Yarmouk was reached with HTS.[41] Evacuations began later in the day[42] and were completed by 1 May, bringing the 15% of Yarmouk that was held by HTS under government control.[43][44]
On 3 May, the SAA reported it had captured Munif Al-Anidi school and the cemetery in Hajar-Al Aswad, thus successfully splitting the ISIL-held pocket into two parts.[citation needed] On 4 May, Russian military police reportedly entered Beit Sahem[45] as non-ISIL rebels continued evacuations from their previously-held areas east of Yarmouk.[46] On 5 May, the Syrian Army and the Palestinian militia groups said they had fully captured the southern district of al-Hajar al-Aswad.[citation needed] By 5 May, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced that the Syrian army controlled two-thirds of the camp.[47]
Between 5 and 12 May, both sides suffered heavy casualties as government advances slowed due to ISIL militants being entrenched in tunnels and underground shelters. The militants had also conducted constant counter-attacks.[48] Local sources reported pro-government airstrikes and artillery fire on Yarmouk camp and al-Hajar al-Aswad throughout 7 May, with the aim of separating the two neighbourhoods, with 500 meters of ground gained.[49] Pro-government media reported the killing of Hezbollah's Muhammad Ahmad Hourani and wounding of war correspondent Wasim Aissa during clashes in Yarmouk.[49]
On 16 May, a new pro-government assault on the camp with air strikes and surface-to-surface missiles, with only a few hundred, mainly elderly, residents left inside; dozens of civilians and over 100 fighters on both sides were reported killed.[50] SOHR reported that the SAA fully captured al-Hajar-al-Aswad.[6] On 19 May, Russian and pro-government sources reported a ceasefire between the government and ISIL,[51] although this was denied by official government media, and busloads of ISIL fighters were reported to be evacuated by the government.[52][53] Just after midnight on 20 May, buses entered the ISIL enclave to evacuate the ISIL fighters,[54] while ISIL burned its bases in preparation for the withdrawal.[55] Despite reports of some continuing clashes in the area,[56] the first batch of militants and their family members was evacuated towards the eastern desert.[57]
On 21 May, pro-government troops fully recaptured Yarmouk camp, as ISIL fighters pulled out to deserts east of the city, thus allowing the Syrian Arab Army to fully control the capital after 6 years.[16][58]
Aftermath
In the month of fighting, a total of at least 73 civilians were reported killed in Yarmouk, and 7,000 people — including 6,200 Palestinians — displaced from their homes.[16] An UNRWA spokesman said 100 to 200 civilians were estimated to still be in Yarmouk.[58] Sheikh Mohammed al-Omari, a cleric loyal to the government, condemned government troops and allied militias for looting homes in the captured neighbourhood.[58] According to The Economist, many Palestinians believe the government plans to redevelop Yarmouk for use by Syrians.[59]
Al-Hajar al-Aswad is a Syrian city just 4 km (2 mi) south of the centre of Damascus in the Darayya District of the Rif Dimashq Governorate.
Yarmouk is a 2.11-square-kilometer (520-acre) district of the city of Damascus, populated by Palestinians. It is located 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) from the center of Damascus and within municipal boundaries; this was not the case when it was established in 1957. It contains hospitals and schools. Yarmouk is an "unofficial" refugee camp, as UNRWA rejected a Syrian government request to recognize the camp in 1960. Now depopulated, it was previously home to the largest Palestinian refugee community in Syria. As of June 2002, there had been 112,550 registered refugees living in Yarmouk.
The Battle of the Shaer gas field is a battle between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Syrian government for the control over the Sha'er gas field during the Syrian Civil War. It is the second attack that was launched by ISIL on the gas field.
The Deir ez-Zor offensive was a military operation launched by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on the Deir ez-Zor air base and the surrounding areas.
The Battle of Yarmouk Camp (2015) was a battle that broke out in April 2015, during the Syrian Civil War, when the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant stormed the rebel-held Yarmouk Camp. The Yarmouk Camp is a district of Damascus that is home to the largest community of Palestinian refugees in Syria.
The Hama and Homs offensive during the Syrian Civil War was launched by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in an attempt to cut the government supply line between its troops in central and northern Syria.
The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from January to July 2015. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.
The Deir ez-Zor offensive (2016) was an ISIL military operation, during which it took over the northern suburbs of Deir ez-Zor on 16 January 2016, and killed from 135 to 300 people, while also kidnapping about 400 others.
The Battle of al-Qaryatayn (2016) was a military operation launched by Syrian government forces, supported by Russian airstrikes, to recapture the town of Al-Qaryatayn from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The town lies in a junction that connects the Iraqi border with Palmyra and from Palmyra through to Damascus; it fell to ISIL during the previous Battle of Al-Qaryatayn.
The Palmyra offensive in December 2016 was a military operation launched by the military of ISIL which led to the re-capture of the ancient city of Palmyra, and an unsuccessful ISIL attack on the Tiyas T-4 Airbase to the west of the city. ISIL previously controlled the city from May 2015 until March 2016.
The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from January to April 2017. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.
The Syrian Desert campaign was a military campaign launched by Syrian rebel forces affiliated with the Free Syrian Army's Southern Front and their allies in the southern Syrian Desert and the eastern Qalamoun Mountains. The aim of the offensive was to expel the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant from the desert in southern Syria and to open a supply route between two rebel-held areas.
The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from May to August 2017. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.
The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from September to December 2017. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.
The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from January to April 2018. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.
The Southern Damascus offensive began on 5 January 2018 as Jaysh al-Islam fighters attempted to infiltrate ISIL positions within the orchards situated in-between Yalda and Hajjar As-Aswad to the immediate south of Damascus city. This resulted in numerous casualties and as such, a week later, on 12 January ISIL shock troops launched a counter-assault on Yalda's Zein neighborhood, triggering heavy clashes, resulting in the eventual capture of several buildings in the area. On 22 January, ISIL made further progress in Taqdam Neighborhood of Hajjar al-Aswad, to this date ISIL ended up controlling 3/4 of Yarmouk Camp, majority of Hajjar al-Aswad, Qadam, Tadamon and large part of Yalda's eastern axis. Fighting continued with ISIL forces continuing their advance against other militant groups later into January, with majority of a street between Yalda and Babbila as well as some gains within the district of Tadamon. By 27 January, ISIL controlled almost the entirety of Hajjar al-Aswad after breaking through the last lines of defense and were on the verge of entering the town of Yalda, during the same time, further areas were also captured in the Yarmouk district.
The Southern Damascus offensive started on 12 March 2018, when ISIL began attacking rebel positions in the al-Qadam neighborhood of southern Damascus as they were evacuating. The rebel pocket in al-Qadam had been surrounded on one side by government forces and on the other by ISIL. On 10 March, ISIL threatened to kill any rebels that evacuate from the area after the Syrian government gave the rebels 48 hours to surrender the district and evacuate. Following news of the upcoming rebel evacuation from al-Qadam, ISIL forces attacked the rebels on 12 March and captured 25 percent of the neighborhood. The next day, around 300 rebel fighters and their family members were evacuated from al-Qadam to rebel territory in Idlib province. After the evacuation, government troops took control of 70 percent of the neighborhood, while the remaining 30 was under IS control. During the fighting, government air-strikes were conducted against ISIL in Al-Hajar al-Aswad and al-Qadam. While the clashes were taking place in Qadam, rebel groups attempted to break through ISIL lines in Yarmouk but were repelled.
The following is a timeline of the Syrian Civil War from May to August 2018. Information about aggregated casualty counts is found at Casualties of the Syrian Civil War.
The 2018 Southern Syria offensive, code-named Operation Basalt, was a military operation launched by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies against the rebels and ISIL in Southern Syria. The fighting began with a surprise attack on rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the Daraa Governorate in an attempt to fracture rebel-held lines and weaken morale, ahead of their offensive in the greater Southern Syria region.
The Syrian Desert campaign is a campaign waged by Syrian government forces and their allies, including Iran and Russia, against the remaining forces of the Islamic State (IS) in the Syrian Desert region.
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Syria 
Palestinian Syrian militias [7] 
Hezbollah [8] 
Arab Nationalist Guard [9] 
Russia [10] 
Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis (remnants) 
[8] 
Military of ISIL 
10 killed [11] 
