Wadi Barada: Hezbollah, Assad attack, opposition pushes back

Opposition fighters regained control of some positions in Bassimeh, Wadi Barada late on Friday after they were occupied earlier in the day by Hezbollah and Assad regime, Orient News correspondent reported. 

Local sources told Orient News that a number of Hezbollah and Assad terrorists were killed during the fighting on the outskirts of the village of Bassimeh. 

Earlier on Friday, Hezbollah and Assad regime breached a local truce in Wadi Barada by resuming their attacks on Bassimeh. Local activists said at least an old woman was killed by Assad snipers. 

The Media Committee of Wadi Barada said maintenance teams entered Wadi Barada on Friday and started the first phase of repairs in the Ein al-Fijeh spring facility to resume water supplies. 

The spring facility of Ein al-Fijeh, which provides most of Damascus and its countryside with water, has been severely damaged by Hezbollah and Assad bombardment. 

The Wadi Barada valley, located 18 kilometres northwest of Damascus, suffered from heavy bombing and artillery shelling by Hezbollah and Assad terrorists for the past 23 days. The attacks killed many civilians and caused widespread damage to property. 

Opposition-held villages of the valley have been under siege for months by Hezbollah and Assad regime. The humanitarian situation was already dire even before the recent offensive started 23 days ago.

In addition to the bombing, people in the valley have to endure life without water, electricity or any means of communication including landlines, cell phones and the Internet. The villages also face acute shortages of food, medicine and fuel due to the long siege.

A countrywide ceasefire in Syria was declared on Thursday (29 December 2016), after Turkey, Russia and opposition fighting factions reached a deal in the Turkish capital Ankara. According to the deal, Turkey and Russia would act as guarantor countries for the implementation of the ceasefire.