SAA Makes Sweeping Gains Against Militant Gangs in Damascus - Only ISIS Fighters Still Remain
Syrian government forces are fighting to free the last Damascus region controlled by the militants. Under a constant artillery barrage, some illegal gangs of militants voluntarily gave up their positions. Only ISIS terrorists are still putting up fierce resistance.
Our military correspondent Evgeny Poddubny didn't just make it to the frontline; he also studied the network of underground tunnels where the terrorists hide from the shelling.
The operation to liberate the last Damascus region controlled by Islamic State terrorists is a series of artillery strikes and airstrikes, which are promptly followed up by an infantry attack, the latter of which is supported by armor units. Basically, every house is a hotspot. If there are militants inside, they're cleared out. But, that's not always enough. The buildings are connected via tunnels. Underground communications are the reason why the radicals have been able to fight for so long.
Here's a good example. The house is in ruins, but the tunnel entrance is intact. The entire Yarmouk region is dug up with such tunnels. During air or artillery strikes, the militants simply hide underground.
When the artillery is in combat, the frontline is relatively quiet. These are the former positions of Jaysh Al-Islam militants. They voluntarily surrendered them to the Republican Guard and the 4th Division.
"We're breaking through the militants' defense with fire. There's the square, the houses, and the militants' underground communications. Until the tanks get here, it's hard to move forward. Without support from the armor units, our soldiers will be mowed down at close range".
Tanks play an important role in the battle for Yarmouk. Here on the frontline, we can see a makeshift version of a T-72 battle tank. However, this counterintuitive form of defense is highly effective here.
"The militants try to stop our tanks, but they only succeed where there's a lot of debris or narrow streets. As soon as we clear the roads, ISIS' defenses fall apart".
This is Yarmouk from a bird's eye view. Every pillar of dust shows the aftermath of a firefight. Qadam, Madaniya, Asali, and other areas are already free. ISIS leaders urge their militants in Yarmouk to fight to the death. They want them to use suicide bombers to slow down the government forces.
Evgeny Poddubny, Aleksandr Pushin, Stanislav Elovsky. Vesti, Yarmouk, Damascus, Syria.