With the mass forced displacement operations in eastern Ghouta are now nearly completed, Russia and the Assad regime look poised to repeat the same scenario against inhabitants of the eastern Qalamoun area northeast of Damascus after two-year truce. The Syrian Coalition said these operations are aimed at changing the demographic landscape and social fabric in Syria.
The Assad regime has long sought mass forced displacement and demographic change in Syria as one of the war crimes against the population with the aim of forcing them to surrender and crush the Syrian revolution.
The Free Syrian Army groups operating in the eastern Qalamoun mountains have combined ranks to form a joint force against regime forces.
The FSA released a statement saying that all FSA groups in eastern Qalamoun had created a unified command under which they would coordinate any future actions against regime forces and confront attempts to displace the local population.
The FSA groups also pledged to protect the safety of the civilians living inside the eastern Qalamoun enclave as well as its buildings and infrastructure. They expressed rejection of attempts to displace the local population. The statement also included the new structure of the new formation and announced the formation of a political office with exclusive authorization to conduct negotiations.
The Syrian Coalition earlier said that the inaction of the international community is to blame for the Assad regime and its allies’ continued of war crimes in Syria, calling for effective and serious action to hold those responsible for those crimes to account. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
