Daesh inching closer to Syrian capital: Local sources

DAMASCUS

The Daesh militant group on Tuesday wrested control of several parts of the Al-Qadam district of Damascus from opposition forces, local sources have told Anadolu Agency.

According to sources close to the fighting, Daesh militants began attacking Syrian opposition fighters in the Al-Qadam district Saturday.

Clashes remained ongoing Tuesday as opposition fighters attempted to retake lost areas.

Daesh supporters shared photos and maps on social media showing the group’s control over several areas of Al-Qadam, which, they pointed out, were "only 10 kilometers from the Umayyad Mosque in central Damascus".

Meanwhile, Jaysh al-Islam, a Syrian opposition group based in Damascus, announced Tuesday that it had attacked Daesh positions in the Al-Hajar al-Aswad district to the east of Al-Qadam.

Daesh uses Al-Hajar al-Aswad as a staging point for attacks on opposition forces in Damascus.

Syria’s ongoing civil war, now in its fifth year, has led to the death of at least 250,000 people and made the country the world's single-largest source of refugees, according to UN figures.