On January 5, both Syrian government forces and militant groups (mostly Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham) continued active military operations against each other in the area of Wadi Barada, located northwest of Damascus.
The Syrian army and the National Defense Forces, supported by warplanes and artillery units, advanced on positions belonging to militant groups in Ayn Fijah, Ayn Khadra and Baseema. About 55 terrorists were killed (mostly as result of artillery strikes) as result of intense clashes in the area.
Ayn Khadra and Baseema are de-facto contested villages between pro-government forces and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham-led militant groups. Earlier in January, the Syrian army also entered Ayn Fijah, but failed to take a full control over the area.
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