FSA Breaks Siege of Beit Jinn but Later Retreats as Israeli Forces Intervene on Assad Militias’ Side

 'The Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups on Friday announced they managed to break the siege regime forces imposed on the town of Beit Jinn in western Ghouta in Rural Damascus. FSA groups launched on offensive dubbed ‘Breaking the Siege of Hermon’ to link Beit Jinn to Quneitra province but were forced to retreat after Israeli forces intervened on the side of pro-Assad militias.

 The FSA’s Mount Hermon operations room said that the offensive came in response to the fierce campaign being launched by the Assad regime forces and their allied foreign militias in the farmlands surrounding of the town of Beit Jinn and the nearby villages. Regime forces have been shelling the area and residential neighborhoods in attempts to make gains on the round.

 The FSA groups announced they would continue military action against Assad forces until the siege imposed on the area is lifted and detainees are released. They called on other FSA groups to join them and to ignore international pressure being put on these groups.

 Activists in rural Quneitra said that the Israeli occupation forces targeted the reinforcements the Free Syrian Army groups sent to the border strip of land in southwestern Syria. They pointed out that the bombing came in response to calls for help by pro-Assad militias in the town of Hadar to relieve them of the FSA army attack. The Israeli occupation forces opened the border and supplied the pro-Assad militias in Hadar with arms and ammunition, thus enabling regime forces to regain control of the areas they lost to the FSA fighters.

 Assad regime forces and the Hezbollah militia have laid siege on villages and towns of the western Rural Damascus for around 10 months. The besieged area has been subjected to violent shelling by barrel bombs and rockets amid daily attempts by regime forces to advance on the area.'