Syrian rebels in al-Quneitra province have agreed to accept a return of state rule or to leave to the rebel-held Idlib province in a surrender deal with the government, Hezbollah-run military news outlet reported on Thursday.
The agreement would mark a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad, restoring his control over the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The move has recovered swathes of southwestern Syria over the last months in a Russian-backed offensive that has forced many rebels to surrender
“Under the agreement, two Syrian army brigades will deploy into positions that were held by the Syrian army prior to 2011, when the Syrian crisis erupted, according to a report on the Hezbollah-run military news outlet.
U.S. President Donald Trump said at a news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in Helsinki that both had agreed to work together to help ensure Israel’s security.
Putin, Assad’s most powerful ally, cited the need to restore the situation along the Golan borders to the state that prevailed before the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011.
Comments are closed.