Friday, February 06, 2015

Blog #1 Dozens killed in heavy Damascus fighting

Summary:
Forty people have been killed and many more wounded in and around the Syrian capital of Damascus due to heavy fighting. In the past rebels have vowed that they would be on the offensive due to government attacks on the nearby town of Douma. On Tuesday, Jay al-Islam (Army of Islam) leader Zahran Alloush said his group now considered Damascus a "military zone." It is believed that these resent attacks on the capital were carried out by them. Government forces have been attacking Douma and its surrounding areas since it is a stronghold for Alloush's group. During these attacks many civilians have been killed alongside opposition fighters.

Analysis:
Viewing this conflict from the outside it is hard to say what will come of it. You have the Syrian government on one hand accusing the rebels of mortar and rocket fire into the capital. On the other hand you have the rebels accusing the Syrian government of airstrikes on the surrounding villages. In the capital there is growing intolerance for the rebels since rockets and mortars are hitting civilians in the area. In the outside villages many airstrikes are claiming the lives of innocent civilians even when they hit their intended target. This in turn creates more conflicts and enemies for the Syrian government. In the future this might mean more involvement of world powers in this conflict.

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