ISIS militants get 48 hour ultimatum to surrender near Damascus
News & Trends •
reutersnan islamic state isis militants have been given 48 hours to withdraw from an enclave they control south of damascus the pro-syrian government newspaper al-watan reported on thursday1 if they refuse the army and supporting forces are ready to launch a military operation to end the presence of the organisation in the area it said1 the jihadist-controlled enclave is centered around the palestinian yarmouk camp and the al-hajar al-aswad area south of damascus1 the area is much smaller than the eastern ghouta region where the syrian government recently defeated insurgents1 a commander in the regional military alliance that backs the syrian government said the syrian army had begun shelling the jihadist enclave on tuesday in preparation for an assault1 yarmouk some eight km from the centre of damascus was home to syrias largest palestinian refugee community before the syrian war erupted in 20111 although most residents have fled the un has said several thousand remain1 the syrian government has recovered swathes of territory from rebels by letting them leave to other rebel-held parts of the country after years of siege and ferocious military assaults backed by russia and iran1