ASSAD FORCES PREPARING FOR OFFENSIVE AGAINST REBELS IN DAMASCUS

Over the past year or so, the forces of Syrian President Basher al-Assad, backed by Iranian and Russian allies, have been making enormous advances in the Syrian Civil War. 

Now it looks like the next big offensive will be against the large rebel pocket that lies inside and next to the Syrian capital city of Damascus. 

In the early stages of the Syrian Civil War, parts of the Syrian capital were seized by rebel forces seeking to overthrow President Basher al-Assad, but the threat was contained. However, the high number of civilians in the rebel-controlled area combined with Western countries looking for a "moral" reason to bomb Assad's forces, meant that Assad was unable to crush these pockets. 

Rebel pockets right next to the Syrian capital.
Green ＝ Islamic rebels, Grey ＝ ISIS, pink ＝ Assad forces.

This led to the pockets, around the Damascus suburbs of Ghouta, Duma, and Al Hajar Al Hasad, becoming relatively stable. Aid agencies have even been making food and medicine deliveries, as well as arranging occasional population transfers. 

Now it looks like Assad is preparing to finally "seize this nettle" by bringing his elite "Tiger" assault forces to the capital. Reports state that a 4km-long convoy of Tiger forces, with tanks (T-90A) and howitzers (2S3 Akastiya, M-1938, Msta-B 152mm), has been moving towards the capital. This can only mean that an offensive against the rebel pockets is imminent.

#Syria #Damascus #ToDamascus #To_Damascus #EastGhouta #EasternGhouta

The tiger's men are coming for you O Sham#Tiger_Forces #Tigers_Men #SAA #SyrianArabArmy #SyrianArmy pic.twitter.com/qmR2yvo5ji

— Ivan Sidorenko (@IvanSidorenko1) February 18, 2018

Such a move is also the next logical step for the Assad government. Over the past year, the Tiger forces have been engaged in constant fighting against ISIS, which has been almost totally defeated in the country. Now they are in need of  a new objective. 

A recent attempt to expand into Kurdish controlled territory in the North, backfired when US air forces bombed a military formation advancing beyond Deir ez-Zor, killing around 100, including dozens of Russians. 

There are also difficulties advancing into the rebel-controlled Idlib province in the North East of the country, due to Turkish involvement there.

This makes an assault against the Damascus rebel pockets an obvious choice. 

Get ready because, when it starts, there will be the usual orchestrated caterwauling from the mainstream media against Assad's supposed "war crimes" and maybe even an attempt to increase Western involvement in this war.