- Title: Syrian army seizes Damascus water source as rebels withdraw
- Date: 30th January 2017
- Summary: AIN AL-FIJAH, SYRIA (JANUARY 30, 2017) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DAMAGED BUILDING VARIOUS OF AIN AL-FIJAH WATER SPRING ROOM IN WATER STATION / WATER PUMP VARIOUS OF WATER FLOWING DAMAGES IN THE WATER STATION SYRIAN FLAG OVER THE WATER INSTALLATION MORE OF DAMAGES IN WATER STATION AIN AL-FIJAH, SYRIA (JANUARY 29, 2017) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEN STANDING ON STREET BUSES STANDING ON STREET WAITING FOR REBELS AND THEIR FAMILIES, ARMED SOLDIERS WALKING VARIOUS OF REBELS AND THEIR FAMILIES BEING EVACUATED BY BUSSES
- Embargoed: 13th February 2017 16:52
- Keywords: Syria Wadi Barada valley Damascus water pumping station
- Location: AIN AL-FIJAH, SYRIA
- City: AIN AL-FIJAH, SYRIA
- Country: Syria
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001619XB9J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Syrian ministry of water resources said on Monday (January 30) water would reach the Syrian capital Damascus within hours of government forces which had seized Wadi Barada valley doing the necessary repairs to Ain al-Fijah water spring.
Syrian military forces entered the village of Ain al-Fija in Wadi Barada valley, where the spring and pumping station are located, early on Saturday (January 28), a military media unit run by Lebanese group Hezbollah, reported.
They took back control of an area near Damascus that provides most of the capital's water supplies on Sunday (January 29) after reaching a deal for rebel fighters to withdraw, pro-government media and a monitoring group said.
Under the deal reached between the government side and local representatives, hundreds of rebel fighters began to be bussed out of the area on Sunday with their families and head for Idlib province, an insurgent stronghold, carrying light weapons, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Rebels from Wadi Barada would be allowed to leave too, but could also opt to stay and serve with pro-government forces, it added.
Wadi Barada, a mountainous valley northwest of Damascus, has become one of the fiercest battlefronts in Syria's civil war.
Disruption to water supplies, including infrastructure damage, has caused acute shortages in the capital this month.
Rebels and activists have said government bombardment damaged the spring. The government said insurgent groups polluted it with diesel, forcing the state to cut supplies.
Rebels in Wadi Barada had been allowing government engineers to maintain and operate the valley's pumping station. Fighters have, however, cut water supplies several times in the past to put pressure on the army not to overrun the area.
The recapture of Wadi Barada signals the fall of another rebel-held area in western Syria, and comes weeks after insurgents were driven from areas they controlled in Aleppo, their last major urban stronghold.
Military support from President Bashar al-Assad's foreign allies, including Russia, Iran and Lebanese group Hezbollah, have been instrumental in helping turn the nearly six-year civil war in his favour. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
