Truce Set to End Siege on Town Outside Damascus

Residents, Rebels 'Divided' Over Deal to End Fighting

The rebel-held town of Moadamiyet al-Sham, on the outskirts of Damascus, is set to disarm as a condition for the military ending its siege against the town.

The deal is set to be implemented in stages, with the locals returning the national flag to the water tower and the government restoring food supplies today. In the days to come the rebels will hand over heavy weapons and the government will dismantle its checkpoints. It is hoped that thousands of displaced residents can return.

The deal was said to be extremely controversial among the local rebels, with the moderates favoring a pact to resume food supplies to local civilians and the radicals saying any deal amounted to “giving in.”

If the pact manages to be implemented it could be a test case for broader such settlements nationwide, as both government and rebel fighters have virtual control over their respective territories, and many towns are finding themselves in similar predicaments on either side.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.