Syrian govt forces take Damascus suburbs under control - Russian Defense Ministry
MOSCOW. May 23 (Interfax-AVN) - The eastern part of the Idlib governorate, the suburbs of Damascus, Eastern Ghouta, Eastern Qalamoun, Yarmouk, and the northern districts of the Homs governorate in Syria are now fully controlled by Syrian government forces, Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said at a news briefing on Wednesday.
"Since the beginning of the year, Syrian government forces supported by the Russian Armed Forces have achieved significant success in liberating key districts of Syria from remnants of terrorist groups," Rudskoi said.
These include the areas listed above, "which are now fully under the control of government forces," he said.
"A total of 9,573 civilians have returned to the Aleppo governorate from the western part of the Idlib governorate through a humanitarian corridor near the communities of Abu al-Duhur and Tel-Sultan," Rudskoi said.
Traffic on the road connecting Hama and Aleppo has been resumed, and peaceful life has been returning to the liberated areas, prompting refugees to come home, he said.