| Eastern Qalamoun offensive (April 2018) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign (Syrian Civil War) and the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War | |||||||
&sq=&lang=&file=File:2018_Eastern_Qalamoun_Offensive.svg) Map of the operation | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Syrian Arab Republic Russia |
 Unified Military Command of Eastern Qalamoun  [1] Jaysh Tahrir al-Sham [2] Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [3] | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Maj. Gen. Suheil al-Hassan (Tiger Forces) Col. Ghiath Dalla(42nd Armored Brigade) |
Shaher Juma †[4] (head of rebel negotiations committee in Dumayr) | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
| |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | 1,500[6] | ||||||
On 17 April 2018, rebel groups in the eastern Qalamoun Mountains pocket, led by Jaysh al-Islam, reached a surrender agreement with the Syrian Army and Russia. The agreement came after 2 weeks of negotiations that began with a Syrian Army ultimatum on 3 April.[7] Around 1,500 rebels handed over heavy weapons and equipment to the Syrian Army, and were evacuated by 124 buses in 4 convoys to Turkish-held areas in the northern Aleppo Governorate along with their families, totaling around 5,000 people.[6] On 25 April, the last batch of rebels and their families left the eastern Qalamoun pocket, and the region came under full Syrian government control.[8]
- ^ a b "Syria's rebels announce refusal to evacuate Eastern Qalamoun". The New Arab. 3 April 2018.
- ^ "Jaish Tahrir al-Sham Denies affiliate to Qalamoun Unified Command & Rejects negotiations with Russia". Syria Call. 15 April 2018. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ a b "The Eastern Qalamoun witnesses preparations for a new displaced people convoy in conjunction with the arrival of the 3rd convoy in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 24 April 2018.
- ^ "The assassination of the Chairman of the Commission for Negotiating the City of conscience". Enab Baladi. 18 April 2018.
- ^ "The convoy of the Eastern Qalamoun reaches its destination after being attacked by loyalists to the regime at one of the checkpoints which injured a number of displaced people". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 22 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Evacuations around Damascus continue as thousands depart encircled city of Dumayr". Syria Direct. 19 April 2018. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Russia, Assad give ultimatum to Syria rebels northeast of Damascus". Reuters. 3 April 2018.
- ^ "Syrian army enters eastern Qalamoun after full evacuation of rebels". Xinhua News Agency. 25 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018.