HMEYMIM (Sputnik) — Syrian government troops assumed full control of a city on the southwestern outskirts of Damascus and 13 nearby villages in the past 24 hours, the Syria-based Russian reconciliation center said Friday.
"Against the backdrop of Syrian army successes in the liberation of eastern districts of Aleppo from armed groups, militants stop fighting in other parts of Syria," the center said.
"Since December 1, 2016, the city of Khan Alsheh 15 kilometers [9 miles] from Damascus and 13 surrounding settlements have come under the full control of the Syrian authorities," it said.
Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with government forces fighting the Syrian opposition groups striving to overthrow President Bashar Assad. In parallel, Damascus has to counter numerous extremist groups, in particular, Daesh — a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other counties.
