Assad Forces Close In on Last Rebel-Held Bastion in Damascus
- Government controls nearly 60% of Syria, all its major cities
- Area east of capital has been the scene of ruthless attacks
A Syrian soldier walks through Eastern Ghouta on March 26.
Source: Stringer/AFP/Getty Images
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Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad closed in on the last rebel bastion in a Damascus suburb where hundreds have died in a convulsion of bloodletting, cementing his victory in the seven-year civil war.
Tens of thousands of civilians and fighters left battered Eastern Ghouta, where some streets have been bombed to the ground, after all but one of its main rebel groups reached agreements with Russia to withdraw, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Their destination -- the northwestern city of Idlib -- is also home to other mainly Islamist rebels who reached similar deals with the government after enduring months or years of siege.