Russia struck on Friday a new agreement with an opposition faction in Eastern Ghouta to evacuate the wounded, fighters and civilians to the opposition-controlled northwestern province of Idlib in line with talks launched with Jaysh al-Islam to reach a deal in Douma, the last opposition stronghold near Damascus.
It was remarkable that the deal struck between a representative of the Russian Defense Minister and Faylaq al-Rahman, which controls Jawbar, Ain Tarma, Abrin and Zamalka in Ghouta's south, stipulated the deployment of the Russian Army in areas already emptied by opposition fighters. The deal also allows the treatment of the wounded in Russian hospitals, inside Syrian territories.
According to observers, the agreement strengthens the role of Moscow in Syria, replacing that of Tehran and the regime.
Meanwhile, opposition activists shared a video showing a deputy from the Syrian Parliament forcing hungry and thirsty displaced persons to chant slogans supporting Bashar al-Assad before being offered water.
Nearly 90,000 people have left Eastern Ghouta through humanitarian corridors since the declaration of humanitarian pauses, following years of punishing sieges enforced by regime forces.
Meanwhile, the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria criticized Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch in Afrin.
Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson Col. Ryan Dillon told Sputnik that the coalition is limiting its military operations against ISIS in eastern Syria as many Kurdish leaders within the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have left the area to battle the Turkish forces in Afrin.
“Things have slowed down because of the operations that happened in Afrin,” he said.
His comments came as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that “Operation Olive Branch” against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) will not end in Afrin.
“Next are Idlib and Manbij,” the Turkish president said, adding that he has told US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ankara “won’t take steps backward from here.”
