Syria in a Week (28 May 2018)

Syria in a Week (28 May 2018)

The following is a selection by our editors of significant weekly developments in Syria. Depending on events, each issue will include anywhere from four to eight briefs. This series is produced in both Arabic and English in partnership between Salon Syria and Jadaliyya. Suggestions and blurbs may be sent to info@salonsyria.com.

 

Damascus is Getting Its Suburbs Back

After battles with ISIS that started back in April, the Syrian army has regained control of al-Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk Camp neighborhoods, declaring its control of Damascus and surrounding areas for the first time since the onset of the conflict in Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Sunday that a surrender agreement was reached by which ISIS fighters were transported to eastern Syria. However, official media denied such reports. It should be mentioned that the first quarter of this year witnessed fierce battles in eastern Ghouta that left thousands of civilians dead and led to the Syrian army taking full control of eastern Ghouta.

The regime’s geographical control has increased dramatically, whereas areas controlled by the opposition shrank to two wide areas in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib in the northwest and Daraa and Qunaitera in the southwest. The Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by US and French forces, control the northeastern part of Syria. (Reuters)

 

The South … The New Front

24 May 2018

The Syrian army may head toward the north or south of the country after defeating armed groups around Damascus said the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad to the Lebanese television channel al-Mayadeen on Wednesday. Syrian army units advanced toward Daraa in the south, while Syrian jetfighters dropped leaflets calling for armed factions to settle their situations or surrender. On Friday, the United States threatened to take firm actions against any abuses by government forces in the de-escalation zone in the south as it is one of the guarantors along with Russia and Jordan.

The southern front has always been tied to Israel’s role in the conflict and its repeated attacks on military positions belonging to the Syrian army or its allies, especially Iran and Hezbollah. The most recent attack came on Thursday and targeted the Dhaba’a airport near al-Qsair in Homs. The Syrian news agency said that anti-aircraft systems responded to the attack, however, the SOHR confirmed the presence of injuries. Israel boasted that it was the first to use the F-35 US jetfighters in combat missions, with one of these missions being shown off in the sky over Beirut.

The southern area of Syria entered into a tug-of-war over the Iranian presence, especially after the US Secretary of State’s statement that Iran had to withdraw its forces from Syria and stop supporting Hezbollah in order to enter negotiations for a new nuclear deal following the US withdrawal from the deal.

 

Golan Heights in the Forefront

24 May 2018

Reuters

Israeli pressure on President Trump’s administration emerged last week to recognize its sovereignty on the occupied Golan Heights. The pressure came in a statement by the Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz. This recognition is tied to the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of the US embassy to it, and has sparked waves of diplomatic and popular anger in many countries around the world. The day the embassy was transferred witnessed the death of tens of Palestinians protesters and the injury of thousands of others by Israeli occupation bullets during protests against this US measure. (Reuters)

Although Trump’s recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights does not carry any legal merit on the international level, it escalates the tensions in the area and raises the potential of a wider conflict in the region.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights in the 1967 war and declared its annexation in 1981 and moved Israeli settlers into it. Syria attempted to take back the occupied Golan in the 1973 war but the offensive was foiled. The two sides signed a truce in 1974 and the border has been relatively calm ever since. The Golan is considered a strategic area as it overlooks northern Palestine and Damascus, in addition to the fertility of its soil and abundance of water resources.

 

Russian-French Coordination

24 May 2018

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that his country and Russia want to establish a coordination mechanism between world powers to reach a political solution in Syria. He added that the idea was to coordinate efforts carried out by the Astana process that comprises Russia, Turkey, and Iran and the “small group”, which was initiated by France, and comprises Britain, Germany, Jordan, the United States, and Saudi Arabia.

Macron said that he and Putin agreed that focus should be on a new constitution and setting up inclusive elections that would include all Syrians, including refugees.

 

Clashes in the East

27 May 2018

The SOHR said that ISIS attacked a military base near Palmyra city in the Syrian desert, leaving twenty-six dead from the Syrian army and factions backed by Iran. ISIS used suicide bombers and armored vehicles in the attack.

The attack came one day after government forces expelled ISIS fighters from al-Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk Camp near Damascus. ISIS currently controls two besieged desert areas east of Syria. ISIS fighters were expelled from most areas in the Euphrates valley last year. (Reuters)

In Deir Azzour, Interfax news agency reported on Sunday that the Russian Defense Ministry said that four Russian officers were killed in a battle in Deir Azzour east of Syria. The ministry said that fighting broke out after several groups, made up of opposition fighters, attacked an artillery unit that belonged to the Syrian Army. Two military councilors operating the unit were killed instantly, while five soldiers were injured and transferred to a Russian military hospital. Two of them died because of their injuries. The news agency also quoted the ministry as saying that forty-three militants died in that battle. (Reuters)

Syrian official media said that the US-led coalition targeted army bases in Boukamal and Hmaimieh in the early hours of Thursday morning without leaving any human casualties. The US army denied knowledge of such an attack.

In this context, the SOHR said that ISIS fighters were fighting forces loyal to the Syrian government west of the Euphrates river on Thursday, and fighting Syrian Democratic forces on the eastern bank of the river on Wednesday evening. The SOHR added that the coalition strikes that took place on Thursday led to the death of a number of non-Syrian militants loyal to the Syrian government.

 

A Russian Insult Embarrasses Damascus

27 May 2018

Loyalists to Damascus accused Moscow of “manufacturing terrorism” in Syria and “insulting the Syrian military uniform” after the central channel of the Russian military base in Hmeimim said that Russian military policy deployed south of Damascus arrested members of Syrian government forces after they committed violation in their areas of deployment around Damascus.

The Russian Hmeimim base said on its Facebook page that Russian police deployed south of Damascus arrested a number of government forces members after they attempted to loot and steal civilian properties. It went on to say in response to questions from loyalists to Damascus that force will be used against any mutiny by individuals involved in law violation or those who support them within areas liberated through the participation of Russian forces.

This came in a response by the channel to an inquiry by a member of the government forces that showed a picture of Russian police arresting members of government forces, which was widely circulated in social media. The inquiry was to confirm if the news and pictures were authentic and whether their arrest was a coincidence or based on orders from higher tiers.

On the other hand, a military source from the Syrian government said that those who appeared in the pictures are not soldiers in the military institution and they do not belong to it whatsoever, adding that they are wanted by security forces.

 

Syria in a Week (21 May 2018)

Syria in a Week (21 May 2018)

The following is a selection by our editors of significant weekly developments in Syria. Depending on events, each issue will include anywhere from four to eight briefs. This series is produced in both Arabic and English in partnership between Salon Syria and Jadaliyya. Suggestions and blurbs may be sent to info@salonsyria.com.

Russia is There to Stay

16 May 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on 16 May that Russian Military vessels equipped with Kaliber cruise missiles will be on permanent standby in the Mediterranean to confront what he described as the “terrorist threat” in Syria.

This rocket deployment demonstrates how Russia has been strengthening its military presence in the Middle East since its intervention in Syria in 2015, tipping the balance in favor of its ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Putin said that only military warships armed with Kaliber missiles will be on permanent standby and not the submarines.

Putin declared the deployment of the warships armed with rockets in a speech to the supreme military leadership during a meeting in Sochi city on the Black Sea, stating that this deployment was a result of “the ongoing terrorist threat in Syria.”

Russia possesses a permanent naval base in Tartus on the Syrian coast and an air force base in Hameimim.

 

Shrapnel of the Syrian “Explosion”

16 May 2018

The Special UN Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura warned that tensions in the country are still high due to “international confrontations” on the ground.

During a briefing to the UN Security Council on Syria, Staffan de Mistura warned that the tensions in the relationship between Israel and Iran demonstrate “a troubled trajectory of ever more frequent and intense international confrontations.”

Israel and Iran exchanged rocket strikes in the Golan Heights last week, raising concerns of a wider conflict erupting in Syria.

De Mistura said that he feels encouraged about the ninth round of talks in Astana that was held on Monday with delegates from Iran, Russia, and Turkey, the three countries sponsoring the so-called Astana process.

He added that “careful but preemptive diplomacy” is necessary to revive the political process and reduce escalation of fighting.

Turkey finished its deployment of twelve surveillance posts in Idlib, between Aleppo, Lattakia, and Hama in north-western Syria in accordance to the Astana process.

 

Hezbollah Withdrawing

17 May 2018

Forces loyal to the Syrian army withdrew from their posts in al-Hadher town, south of Aleppo, on Thursday.

“A military convoy of around twenty-five vehicles flying the Lebanese Hezbollah flag including tank carriers withdrew from al-Hadher, twenty-two kilometers south of Aleppo, on Thursday and headed towards sites in Mount Azzan, which is controlled by the Iranian Republican Guard,” a source in the Syrian opposition told a German news agency.

“The withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters and government soldiers came after pressure from Russian forces, which want to establish a surveillance post in the area, and after the Turkish army deployed surveillance posts in Tallet al-I’es in the southern countryside of Aleppo,” the source confirmed.

Iranian forces in Mount Azzan came under a missile attack believed to be from a coalition of Israeli planes near the end of last month.

 

Putin and Al-Assad

17 May 2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in a special meeting on Thursday in Russia that it is time to speed up the political transition process to reconstruct Syria and withdraw foreign forces involved in this country.

This was the first meeting between the Russian president and his Syrian counterpart since their brief meeting in December at the Russian base in Hmeimim, Syria, after which Putin declared the partial withdrawal of Russian military units in the country.

The two presidents also met in November in a Black Sea coastal city, south-east of Russia, where the Russian president owns a house.

As was the case in November, the Thursday meeting was held secretly. Russian television broadcasted snippets of the meeting between the two men who emphasized the military success of the Syrian government, which is receiving support from the Russian army.

This meeting strengthens al-Assad’s position, ahead of Putin’s meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macaron next week.

Putin congratulated the Syrian president on the “successes of the Syrian government army in combatting terrorist groups,” which paved the way to “create new conditions to resume the political process on a large scale,” according to a statement from the Kremlin.

The Russian military intervention, which began in September 2015, allowed the Syrian army to recapture most of the territories.

The Russian president went on to say that “with the start of the active phase of the political process, foreign armed forces will withdraw from Syrian territories,” without defining who these forces were. Putin added that “the next mission is to revive the economy and provide humanitarian assistance.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russian forces are present in Syria at the request of the legitimate government and would remain there as long as necessary.”

 

Mysterious Explosions in Hama

18 May 2018

Unexplained huge explosions rocked the Hama military airport according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The SOHR Director Rami Abdul Rahman said the explosions occurred in “weapon and fuel depots of government forces in the airport” near Hama city. The SOHR said that it did not receive any information about the cause of the explosions, adding that it “left plumes of smoke near the city of Hama.”

The Syrian news agency SANA reported “sounds of explosions in the outskirts of Hama airport” without any additional details.

During the past few weeks, Israel repeatedly targeted several military positions in Syria, the last of which was on the night of 9-10 May when Israel bombed dozens of “Iranian” targets in response to a rocket attack on the occupied Golan, which it claimed to be “Iranian” as well.

Since 2011, Israel has repeatedly bombed targets belonging to the Syrian army or Hezbollah, however, this recent bombing targeted positions occupied by Iranians.

 

Russian Blackmail!

18 May 2018

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that her government sees that Russia should use its influence to prevent the confiscation of refugees’ rights in Syria.

In a one-hour meeting on Friday in Sochi on the Black Sea, the German Chancellor discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin the so-called Decree Number 10 issued by the Syrian government.

The decree states that Syrians who do not register themselves within a period of several weeks in their hometowns will lose their property inside Syrian territories. Merkel said that this decree “would be a major obstacle for going back,” in reference to Syrian refugees in Germany.

The Free Democratic Party (FDP) called on Merkel’s government not to yield to Putin’s blackmail regarding the issue of Syrian refugees and reconstruction of Syria.

The Foreign Affairs Official in the FDP told the German newspaper Bild that Germany should not participate in the reconstruction of Syria until violence ceases and a permanent peace agreement for its future is reached.

Bijan Djir-Sarai cautioned the German government saying that “Germany should not submit to Putin’s dictates and blackmail on how to shape the reconstruction of Syria after the war,” stressing that Germany “cannot unconditionally rebuild Syrian cities destroyed by Russia.”

 

Syria… The Worst in History

18 May 2018

The humanitarian crisis in Syria is worse this year than ever before in the country’s seven-year-old war, a UN official said.

“We see in 2018 the humanitarian situation inside Syria being the worst we have seen since the war started: a very dramatic deterioration, massive displacement, disrespect of protection of civilians and people’s lives still being turned upside down,” Panos Moumtzis, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria crisis, said in Beirut.

In modern history, Syria is the worst country in terms of attacks on healthcare workers and facilities, accounting for seventy percent of all such attacks worldwide, he said.

The coordinator said that UN data shows eighty-nine healthcare workers died in ninety-two confirmed military attacks on healthcare facilities between 1 Jan and 4 May, compared to seventy-three killed in one hundred and twelve attacks in the whole of 2017.

 

Between the Government and ISIS

20 May 2018

The SOHR reported that a group of ISIS fighters were evacuated from the last opposition enclave near Damascus on Sunday, in a withdrawal that will restore the government’s control over the area.

Official Syrian media did not mention anything about an agreement that allows for the fanatics to leave the enclave that is located near the Yarmouk Camp for Palestinian refugees.

Official media reported on Saturday that a Syrian military source denied reaching an agreement.

By restoring the Yarmouk enclave, the Syrian government has crushed the last besieged opposition enclave in western Syria, although some sectors near the borders with Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan are still outside its control.

The SOHR said the buses entered the enclave after midnight to transport the fighters and their families. The buses left for al-Badiah (the desert), which is low in population and situated east of the capital.

 

Syria in a Week (14 May 2018)

Syria in a Week (14 May 2018)

The following is a selection by our editors of significant weekly developments in Syria. Depending on events, each issue will include anywhere from four to eight briefs. This series is produced in both Arabic and English in partnership between Salon Syria and Jadaliyya. Suggestions and blurbs may be sent to info@salonsyria.com.

 

Iranian Nukes … From a Syrian Perspective

8-9 May 2018

Reuters and Al-Jazeera

President Donald Trump declared the US withdrawal from the 2015 Iranian nuclear dear on Tuesday.

The decision came after repeated threats from the US administration to abolish the deal, which it describes as “catastrophic.” Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Wednesday to start imposing strict economic sanctions on Iran, noting the gravity of the deal that allowed Iran to continue enriching uranium, thus increasing the potential of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. (Al-Jazeera)

US pressure failed to convince European partners in the deal to withdraw, as the European Union, Germany, France, and Britain declared that they will remain in the deal. However, the nature of US sanctions imposed on companies that maintain business dealings with Iran will put a lot of pressure on future economic cooperation between Iran and Europe.

Israel, the main beneficiary of sanctions on Iran, welcomed the US withdrawal, as did Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. On its part, Iran said that it would remain in the deal despite the US withdrawal, while Russia and China supported the continuation of the deal (Reuters), reflecting the evident scope of international and regional tensions, which possess great potential for deterioration.

These tensions were manifested on the ground in Syria as the battle between Iran and Israel started to evolve into a direct confrontation. After Israel declared, or leaked, that it attacked Iranian positions or forces in Syria numerous times, including the attack on the T-4 base in central Syria, Iran threatened that Israeli aggressions will not go unpunished.

 

Netanyahu in Moscow and Airstrikes in Syria

7 May 2018

Reuters and Al-Mayadeen

Al-Mayadeen TV channel said on Wednesday that the Resistance Axis carried out a rocket attack on four Israeli military positions in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, making it the first military offensive in the area since 1974. This offensive came one day after President Trump declared the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal. No one has officially claimed responsibility for the attack. Israel said that Iran launched twenty Grad and Fajr missiles, which were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system or did not reach their targets in Golan, adding that the Quds Force, a special forces unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard responsible for external operations, is the party that launched the rockets. Israel also said that it carried out rocket attacks on Iranian bases in Syria in retaliation to the “Iranian attacks” on Golan, increasing the fears of deterioration into a large-scale regional conflict.

Syrian official media said that Israel carried out rocket aggressions in the early hours of Thursday, striking air defense positions and an ammunition depot. The Russian news agency reported that Syrian air defenses intercepted half of the Israeli missiles. Official Syrian media sources stated that Israel launched a rocket attack on a target near Damascus on Tuesday, a short time after President Trump’s announcement of the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal. The Israeli army said that after observing “irregular activities” of the Iranian forces in Syria, it issued orders for civil authorities in the Golan Heights to prepare shelters, in addition to deploying new defenses and calling reserve forces. (Reuters)

Russia, Germany, and France called for self-restraint and wisdom, whereas the US administration condemned the Iranian offensive. Trump’s administration portrayed its opposition to the nuclear deal by saying that the opposition, in one of its aspects, is a response to Tehran’s military intervention in the region.

The irony in the regional scene is that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on a visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the eve of the large-scale Israeli offensive on Syria. Israel said that it informed Russia of the attack beforehand. This indicates the complexity of alliances and interests regarding the Syrian war.

The intensity of the escalating rhetoric decreased on Thursday, as Netanyahu considered the response adequate and the Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that he hoped that the violence with Iran on the Syrian borders was over. It is worth mentioning that the Israeli Ministers for Defense and Energy had previously threatened the Syrian government in case it allowed for the continuation of Iranian presence on Syrian territories.

Regional powers do not seem to be ready to de-escalate as of yet, and there is increasing potential for new forms in the Syrian war with all the investment in arming, aggressions, violations, and incitement, especially when the conflict is linked to issues such as occupation, identity, hegemony, and tyranny.

 

Corrosion of al-Hajar al-Aswad (Black Rock)

13 May 2018

Reuters and Enab Baladi

Fierce battles between government forces and ISIS have continued in the neighborhoods of al-Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk Camp south of the capital Damascus. Although the Syrian army is advancing, it is a slow advance accompanied by huge human losses according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, due to the nature of street wars in residential areas and the use of tunnels by ISIS fighters in the battles. As of Sunday, the government holds control of eighty percent of the neighborhood with some parts of Yarmouk Camp still under the control of ISIS

The official SANA news agency said that there were two terrorist explosions, one in Maisat Square and the other in Damascus Tower which left two people dead and fourteen others injured. There were conflicting reports of whether the explosions were a result of a car bomb or rockets launched by ISIS fighters in Yarmouk Camp.

The government expanded their control to the neighborhoods of Yalda, Bibila, and Beit Saham that are adjacent to al-Hajar al-Aswad and Yarmouk Camp after an agreement between Russia and the Syrian government on one hand opposition factions on the other, which provided for the exit of eight thousand six hundred and thirty-two civilians and fighters towards northern Syria, who were distributed between the northern countryside of Aleppo and Idlib. (Enab Baladi)

 

The Last of Enclaves

13 May 2018

Reuters

The last besieged enclave of the opposition is taking the same course of Ghouta. The Syrian government army and opposition factions said that thousands of opposition fighters and civilians left the last main besieged enclave for the opposition in Syria after the factions handed in their heavy weaponry, and opposition fighters not willing to stay started getting ready to leave for areas controlled by opposition forces in northern Syria. This means that future fronts between government forces and opposition factions will be concentrated in the southern front, the north-western countryside of Aleppo, Idlib, and north-east of Syria with the Syrian Democratic Forces.

 

مخيم اليرموك: أمل العودة يتبخر

مخيم اليرموك: أمل العودة يتبخر

طيلة أكثر من خمس سنوات مضت والعجوز السبعينية “أم. ش” لم تفقد الأمل بالعودة إلى منزلها في “مخيم اليرموك” للاجئين الفلسطينيين، لكن أصوات الانفجارات العنيفة المستمرة الناجمة عن حملة النظام ضد تنظيمي “داعش” و”هيئة تحرير الشام”، في منطقة جنوب دمشق أطاحت بأملها وجعلته مجرد حلم.

العجوز الفلسطينية التي فضلت البقاء في بيتها بعد خروج المخيم عن سيطرة النظام، أجبرت على النزوح إلى بلدات ريف دمشق الجنوبي الواقعة تحت سيطرة فصائل المعارضة المسلحة، إثر  سيطرة تنظيم داعش عليه، وتراقب حاليا باستمرار من على أحد أسطح الأبنية الغارات والصواريخ التي تستهدف المخيم.

وبلهجة فلسطينية مترافقة مع توتر كبير تقول العجوز: “راح .. راح.. خيّا ما بقي شي (لم يبق شيء).. ما بقي لا بيوت ولا شوارع.. راح المخيم…”، وتضيف “وين (أين) ترجع الناس.. وين (أين) تقعد خيّا على الردم…!”

وفي التاسع عشر من ابريل (نيسان) الجاري، وفي إطار مساع لتأمين دمشق ومحيطها، بدأ النظام وحلفاؤه حملة عسكرية لاستعادة المناطق الخارجة عن سيطرته في جنوب دمشق، واستهدفت مسلحي تنظيمي «داعش» و«هيئة تحرير الشام» في منطلق سيطرتهما، وذلك بعد إغلاق ملف وجود المعارضة المسلحة في الغوطة الشرقية لدمشق.

وتعتبر مناطق جنوب دمشق الخارجة عن سيطرة النظام مع منطقة القلمون الشرقي التي باتت مراحل تنفيذ اتفاقات التهجير لمقاتلي المعارضة في نهاياتها  آخر معقلين تسيطر عليهما المعارضة المسلحة و”داعش” و”تحرير الشام” في محيط العاصمة دمشق، بعد استعادة النظام وحلفائه السيطرة على معظم مدن وبلدات الريف الدمشقي وتهجير مقاتليها وأعداد كبيرة من سكانها.

وتشكل المناطق الخارجة عن سيطرة النظام في جنوب دمشق كتلة من البلدات والأحياء  متجاورة فيما بينها، منها ما يتبع إدرايا لمحافظة دمشق، ومنها لمحافظة ريف دمشق، وتسيطر على بعضها فصائل معارضة مسلحة، على حين يسيطر  تنظيمي “داعش”  و”تحرير الشام” على القسم الآخر منها.

ويسيطر “داعش” على كامل ناحية “الحجر الأسود” التابعة لمحافظة ريف دمشق وعلى أجزاء واسعة من “مخيم اليرموك” التابع لمحافظة دمشق ويعتبر المدخل الجنوبي للمدينة وعلى القسمين الجنوبي من حي “التضامن” والشرقي من حي “القدم”، بينما تسيطر فصائل المعارضة على منطقة بلدات “يلد” و”ببيل” و”بيت سحم”، التابعة إدارياً لريف العاصمة، وتقع في الجهة الجنوبية الشرقية من العاصمة.

ومضات أمل

النازحون من تلك المناطق إلى أحياء سيطرة النظام في وسط العاصمة وأطرافها وإلى بلدات ريف دمشق الجنوبي الواقعة تحت سيطرة فصائل المعارضة المسلحة، انتعش الأمل لديهم بالعودة إلى منازلهم  مع توقعات للنظام وحلفائه قبيل الحملة، أفصحت عنها قيادات في فصائل فلسطينية تقاتل إلى جانبه،  ومفادها أن المعركة هناك “لن تكون صعبة وستستغرق أياما معدودة فقط”، وأن ما سيحصل هو سيناريو مشابه لما حصل في مدن وبلدات وقرى الغوطة الشرقية من اتفاقات أفضت إلى تهجير مقاتلي المعارضة وعوائلهم إلى شمال البلاد، بعد أيام قليلة من بدء الحملة العسكرية هناك.                     

لكن مهلة 48 ساعة منحت ل”داعش” للخروج انتهت وبدأ النظام وحلفاؤه في التاسع عشر من ابريل (نيسان) الجاري قصفاً جوياً وصاروخياً ومدفعياً عنيفاً لتلك المناطق وهو مستمر حتى اليوم وينجم عنه بشكل يومي انفجارات عنيفة يسمع صوتها بوضوح في الأحياء المجاورة لمناطق سيطرة “داعش” و”تحرير الشام” من الجهة الجنوبية.

(س.م) من أبناء المخيم، وخلال تبادل للحديث مع أشخاص يقفون أمامه وإلى جانبيه، يركز بصره إلى أجواء المنطقة الجنوبية، ويشير إلى سحب الدخان والغبار الكثيفة التي تغطيها والمنبعثة من المباني في المخيم و”الحجر الأسود” من جراء استهدافها، ويقول بحسرة “لم يبق حجر على حجر”، لكن أحد من يتبادل الحديث معهم وفي محاولة للتعالى على جسامة ما يجري، يقول: “متل (كما) عمرناه في السابق بنرجع نعمروا.”

ذكريات

ويعتبر “مخيم اليرموك” من أبرز مناطق جنوب العاصمة الخارجة عن سيطرة النظام ويتبع إدارياً محافظة دمشق ويشكل بوابة العاصمة من الجهة الجنوبية، ويقع على بعد أكثر من سبعة كيلومترات جنوب دمشق، وتصل مساحته إلى نحو كيلومترين مربعين. ويحده من الجهة الجنوبية “الحجر الأسود”، ومن الجهة الغربية حي “القدم” ومن الشرق حي “لتضامن” ومن الشمال منطقة “الزاهرة”.

وأنشئ “مخيم اليرموك” عام 1957 على بقعة زراعية صغيرة، ومع مرور الزمن تحول إلى أكبر تجمع للاجئين الفلسطينيين في سوريا ودول الجوار، وراح اللاجئون يحسّنون مساكنهم ويشيدون الأبنية الطابقية لتتسع للعائلات الكبيرة والمتنامية، وبات كمنطقة حيوية تستقطب السوريين من الريف للعيش فيها، لقربها من دمشق، ووصل عدد اللاجئين الفلسطينيين فيه قبل الحرب الى ما يقارب 200 ألف لاجئ من أصل نحو 450 الف لاجئ في عموم سورية علما بأنه يوجد في سوريا وحدها خمسة عشر مخيما تتوزع على ست مدن.  حتى لُقّب ب”عاصمة الشتات الفلسطيني”.

وإلى جانب اللاجئين الفلسطينيين كان يعيش في “مخيم اليرموك” نحو 400 ألف سوري من محافظات عدة.

وتسارع التطور العمراني في المخيم في بدايات القرن العشرين وتحسنت الخدمات بشكل ملحوظ فيه، وتم افتتاح العديد من المراكز والمؤسسات الحكومية والأسواق التجارية لدرجة بات منطقة حيوية جدا أكثر من أحياء وسط العاصمة التي استقطب تجارها لفتح فروع لمحالهم التجارية فيه للاستفادة من الكثافة السكانية وجني أكبر قدر ممكن من الأرباح في أسواق باتت الأكبر والأكثر حيوية في العاصمة السورية.

وكان سوق شارع اليرموك الرئيسي للألبسة والأحذية والصاغة والمفروشات والمأكولات الجاهزة من أهم أسواق المخيم، حيث كانت العديد من محاله تفتح على مدار اليوم، بينما يعتبر سوقا شارع لوبية وصفد من أهم أسواق الألبسة الجاهزة، على حين كان سوق الخضار في شارع فلسطين من أكبر أسواق العاصمة ويؤمه الدمشقيون من معظم أحياء العاصمة.

وبمجرد الوصول إلى “مخيم اليرموك”، والدخول في شارع اليرموك الرئيسي  من مدخله الشمالي كان المرء يواجه سيلاً بشرياً تتزاحم أقدامه على الأرصفة لإيجاد مكان لها وتتقدم ببطئ كالسلحفاة، في وقت لا يختلف المشهد في سوقي لوبية وصفد حيث يبدو الشارعان والمحلات أكثر اكتظاظا، لدرجة أن الكثيرين كانوا يصفون المشهد هناك بـ”يوم الحشر”.

وإن كان سر الإقبال على أسواق “مخيم اليرموك” من قبل الباعة، هو استثمار الاكتظاظ السكاني الكبير فيها، بطرح البضائع بأسعار أقل مما هي عليه في أسواق أخرى وفق أسلوب “ربح أقل وبيع أكثر”، فإن إقبال  المواطنين عليها من كل حدب وصوب كان سببه تنوع المعروضات  وأناقة المحال والعاملين فيها والأهم من كل ذلك تدني الأسعار عما هي عليه في أسواق وسط العاصمة.

“اليرموك” الذي يحمل رمزية لحق عودة الفلسطينيين إلى أراضيهم التي هجروا منها عام 1948،  حلت النكبة به عندما أطلقت طائرات النظام  ثلاثة صواريخ عليه في 16 ديسمبر (كانون الأول) 2012 حيث قتل وأصيب عشرات المدنيين، ونزح أكثر من 90 في المائة من سكانه، وذلك عقب سيطرة فصائل “الجيش الحر” عليه.

وانتهى المطاف بالمخيم بسيطرة “داعش” على الجزء الأكبر منه في أبريل (نيسان) عام 2016 إثر هجوم عنيف على “تحرير الشام” في أماكن وجودها هناك ومحاصرتها في جيب صغير في غربه، بعد أن كانت الأخيرة انتهت بالتعاون مع “داعش” من وجود فصائل “الجيش الحر”.

ومع سيطرة “داعش” الذي يصل عدد مسلحيه في مناطق سيطرته بجنوب دمشق الى نحو 2000 مسلح على “اليرموك” نزح كثير من المدنيين من المخيم إلى مناطق سيطرة “الجيش الحر” في “يلدا” و”ببيلا” و”بيت سحم”، ولا يتجاوز عدد الباقين فيه 4 آلاف مدني.

العديد من أهالي المخيم والتجار الذين كانوا فيه يستبعدون عودة الوضع إلى المخيم إلى ما كان عليه قبل الحرب، بعد كل هذا القصف والمعارك الجارية هناك، ويقول أحد التجار “الأمور تغيرت كليا… قد تمسح المنطقة بشكل كامل ويعاد بناؤها. الماضي بات ذكرى ليس إلا!”

معقل الدواعش 

وإن كان “مخيم اليرموك” من أهم المناطق في جنوب العاصمة التي يسيطر على أجزاء كبيرة منها تنظيم داعش، فإن  ناحية “الحجر الأسود” التابعة إداريا لمحافظة ريف دمشق، وتقع جنوب العاصمة، وتبعد عن مركز المدينة نحو 7 كيلومترات، تعتبر المعقل الرئيس له ذلك أنه يسيطر عليها بالكامل.

ويتركز حاليا قصف النظام وحلفاؤه على الناحية كونها تحتوي مراكز قيادات التنظيم ومقر إقامة معظم مسلحيه وغرف عملياته ومستودعات الذخيرة والمواد الغذائية.

وتحاذي الناحية من الجهة الشمالية القسم الجنوبي من “مخيم اليرموك”، ويحدها من الجنوب بلدة سبينة، ومن الغرب حي “القدم” الدمشقي، ومن الشرق بلدة “يلدا”، ووصل عدد سكانها قبل الحرب الى نحو 60 ألفاً، أغلبهم من نازحي هضبة الجولان التي نزحوا منها عام 1967، إضافة إلى خليط من كثير من سكان المحافظات السورية ومن اللاجئين الفلسطينيين.

وفي بداية الثورة، تم الإعلان عن تشكل فصائل مسلحة في “الحجر الأسود” تتبع لـ”الجيش الحر”، منها “لواء الحجر الأسود” و”صقور الجولان” وتكونت في غالبيتها من نازحي الجولان، ليطغى بعد ذلك حضور فصائل متشددة على حساب “الجيش الحر” الذي انتهى وجوده بتفكك مجموعاته أو الاندماج مع تنظيم “داعش”  أو “جبهة النصرة” (هيئة تحرير الشام لاحقا).

وبسبب الصراع على النفوذ بين “النصرة” و”داعش” تمكن الأخير من طرد “النصرة” إلى “مخيم اليرموك”، وسيطر بمفرده على “الحجر الأسود” الذي بات معقله الرئيس في جنوب العاصمة.

جزءان من حيين

كما يسيطر “داعش” على العديد من الجادات في القسم الجنوبي من حي “التضامن” الدمشقي الذي يحاذيه “مخيم اليرموك” من الغرب وبلدة “يلدا” من الشرق والجنوب، بينما تحده من الشمال  منطقة “حي الزهور»”.

وسيطر “الجيش الحر” في نوفمبر (تشرين الثاني) 2012، على هذا الجزء من الحي  مما أدى إلى نزوح غالبية سكانه، على حين بقي الجزء الشمالي منه تحت سيطرة جيش النظام وميليشياته وشكل منطلقا للهجمات ضد الفصائل المعارضة في الجادات الجنوبية.

وكانت أعداد قاطنيه قبل بداية الحرب نحو 200 ألف ومعظهم من نازحي هضبة الجولان ومن محافظات أخرى.

وشكل المنحدرون من محافظات درعا ودير الزور وإدلب اللذين يتجمعون في الجادات الجنوبية من الحي ، نواة الحراك السلمي في عامه الأول. وعمد النظام إلى تدمير منازل الأهالي بشكل شبه كامل في حي زليخة التابع إداريا لبلدة “يلدا” ويحاذي الجادات الجنوبية من الحي من الجهة الشرقية.

وبعد سيطرة تنظيم داعش على القسم الأكبر من مخيم اليرموك أبريل عام 2016، قام أيضا بالسيطرة على الجادات الجنوبية من حي «التضامن»، بينما تراجعت الفصائل التي كانت توجد فيها إلى بلدات “يلدا” و”ببيلا” و”بيت سحم”، حيث تسيطر فصائل إسلامية وأخرى من “الجيش الحر”.

إضافة إلى ذلك يسيطر تنظيم “داعش” على الجزء الشرقي هي حي “القدم” وهو من الأحياء الدمشقية العريقة، ويقع إلى الجنوب من العاصمة، ويحده شمالا حي “الميدان” وجنوبا بلدة “سبينه”، وغربا مدينة “درايا” وشرقا “الحجر الأسود”، بينما يسيطر النظام على القسم الغربي منه.

ويفصل بين القسمين طريق دمشق – درعا الدولي القديم، وسيطر “الجيش الحر” على معظم القسمين في بداية الثورة، إلا أن النظام تمكن لاحقا من استعادة السيطرة على القسم الغربي.

وسيطر التنظيم على القسم الشرقي من الحي في مارس (آذار) الماضي ، إثر هجوم شنه على قوات النظام بعد محاولاته السيطرة عليه  في أعقاب اتفاق «تسوية» مع الفصائل تم بموجبه تهجير المقاتلين وعوائلهم من الحي إلى شمال البلاد.

ومن ضمن مناطق الجنوب الدمشقي الخارجة عن سيطرة النظام منطقة بلدات “يلدا” و”ببيلا” و”بيت سحم”، التابعة إدارياً لريف العاصمة، وتقع في الجهة الجنوبية الشرقية من العاصمة، ويحدها من الشمال «مخيم اليرموك» و”حي التضامن”، ومن الجنوب منطقة “السيدة زينب” التي تسيطر عليها ميليشيات إيرانية، ومن الشرق غوطة دمشق الشرقية، ومن الغرب ناحية “الحجر الأسود”.

وتسيطر على هذه المنطقة التي تصل مساحتها إلى نحو أربعة كيلومترات مربعة، فصائل إسلامية وأخرى من “الجيش الحر”، ويتوقع أن تشهد احتمالاً مشابهاً لما حصل في كثير من المناطق من تهجير قسري للمقاتلين وعوائلهم.