According to opposition group the Syrian Observatory for human rights and Syrian state media, Syrian rebel groups on Sunday made a surprise attack on regime troops on the Eastern outskirts of Damascus.

In the Syrian capital, clashes that has not happened for several months, if not years, said the Director of the SOHR, Rami Abdel Rahman. Rebel fighters launched an offensive from the area Dzhobara in the North-East of Damascus, which has been divided between rebel and government control. It seems that the rebel group was preparing to attack, Rahman said.

From the very beginning of the conflict the Syrian regime and allied militias are very strongly squeezed the capital. The opposition has only a few control points around Damascus, including a portion of the ISAR. The attack was led by Islamist groups, including Ahrar al-sham and the newly formed jihadist group-umbrellas Hayat Tahrir al-sham, which includes Jabhat Fatah al-sham.

Syrian state media reported that Syrian troops repelled an attack of fighters-jihadists, who also used the tunnels to attack government positions. It was unclear whether the continued fighting on Sunday evening. There was no information about it.

The attack occurred after a series of attacks-suicides that occurred in the capital in March. On Wednesday, suicide bombers blew up a courthouse and a restaurant in Damascus, killing over two dozen people and wounding others, according to Syrian state-run newspaper.
sections: Politics, World News, Accidents, Accidents