On February 23, a heavy rocket launched by Jaysh al-Islam hit civilian buildings in the Rukn al-Din district in the northern part of the Syrian capital Damascus, according to the Hezbollah media wing in Syria.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that one civilian had been killed and fifteen others had been injured in the rocket attack.
Jaysh al-Islam likely targeted the Rukn al-Din district with a Syrian-made Maysalun unguided artillery rocket. The rocket is a copy of the Iranian Zelzal-2 rocket. Maysalun has a range of 210km and a heavy high explosive (HE) warhead.
Jaysh al-Islam captured several Maysalun rockets from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the Eastern Qalamun region during 2013. These rockets are still stationed in Jaysh al-Islam’s ammo depots in the Petra quarries in the northern part of the besieged Eastern Qalamun pocket, according to Syrian pro-government activists.
Lieutenant Colonel Ali Abdulbagi, Jaysh al-Islam’s Chief of the Staff, posted photos of Jaysh al-Islam’s Maysalun rockets via its official Twitter account on February 22 and openly threatened to use them. The official account of Jaysh al-Islam even retweeted Lt. Col. Abdulbagi threat.
إلى أهلنا المكلومين ..
لم تعرف سيوفنا غمدها يوماً ، وإنّا شددنا أزرنا بإخوتنا ، فأبشروا بما يشفي صدوركم ..إلى السفّاح المجرم ..
التصعيد سيتلوه التصعيد ، فذوقوا حصاد تماديكم، و #الله_غالب .. pic.twitter.com/pJCGinUr9y— المقدم علي عبدالباقي (@Ali_Abd_Albake) February 22, 2018
In response to the rocket attack, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces conducted pinpoints airstrikes against several ammo depots of Jaysh al-Islam the Eastern Qalamun pocket, according to Syrian pro-government activists.
Jaysh al-Islam, Faylaq al-Rahman, the Ahrar al-Sham Movement and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have shelled the city of Damascus on a daily basis over the last two weeks. According to SANA, four civilians were killed and eighty-eight others were injured in the armed groups shelling during the last 48 hours only.
Aftermath of the Jaysh al-Islam rocket attack on the Rukn al-Din district:
By Damascus Now, click to see the full-size image
By Damascus Now, click to see the full-size image
By Damascus Now, click to see the full-size image
By Damascus Now, click to see the full-size image
