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On April 19, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the Tiger Forces, backed by the Russian Aerospace Forces, besieged the key town of al-Ruhaybah, in the southern part of the Eastern Qalamun region by capturing the last road linking it with the reaming militant-held area of Eastern Qalamoun, the Hezbollah media wing in Syria reported.
Syrian opposition sources said that warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) had carried out a new series of airstrikes on positions of the US-backed Free Syrian Army (SAA) north and northeast of al-Ruhaybah.
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According to Syrian pro-government activists, the SAA and its allies are not planning to storm al-Ruhaybah. This version says that they besieged thetown to pressure the US-backed FSA. However, the SAA will continue its advance in the mountainous areas northeast of the town.
Meanwhile, local sources in Eastern Qalamun say that the negotiations between the unified command of the FSA and Russia are still ongoing. Observers believe that a peaceful solution, that will include an evacuation of the FSA fighters from the region, is very close.
Some pro-government sources even already reported that the agreement had been reached. But this still has to be confirmed.
