Army Attacks Damascus Rebel Districts of Qadam, Assali

Syrian government troops attacked the Qadam and Assali districts of Damascus on Tuesday, two of the last pockets of rebel-held territory in the city, a watchdog said.

"Syrian regime forces have attacked the Qadam and Assali districts, launching a wave of raids and arrests," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Qadam neighborhood of south Damascus has been the scene of frequent clashes between troops and rebel fighters

Overnight, after a week of intense clashes in several Damascus districts, the army took control of most of the capital, activists said.

But clashes were ongoing in Qadam and al-Hajar al-Aswad, particularly "in the streets where the rebels are dug in," the Observatory said.

Over the past three days, the army has retaken control of a string of rebel districts of Damascus, including Mazzeh in the west, Barzeh in the northeast, and the upscale district of Midan in the south.

The unprecedented fighting triggered an exodus from the city, with rebels eventually mostly withdrawing to the outskirts.