Syrian troops target Daesh tunnels, trenches in Damascus

Smoke rises after Syrian government airstrikes and shelling hit in Hajjar Al-Aswad neighborhood held by Daesh militants, southern Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, April 24, 2018. Syrian state TV is reporting that government forces have launched a new operation targeting underground tunnels used by Daesh in the capital, Damascus. (AP)

• Syrian government forces are targeting tunnels and trenches used by Daesh militants
• Other militia groups operate in the region including Al-Qaeda

DAMASCUS, Syria: Syrian state TV is reporting that government forces have launched a new operation targeting underground tunnels used by Daesh in the capital, Damascus.
The TV says the aim of the operation is to destroy dug-out trenches and tunnels in the Hajjar Al-Aswad neighborhood and the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk that is also mostly controlled by Daesh.
A group of journalists taken on Tuesday to the adjacent neighborhood of Qadam witnessed intense shelling and airstrikes on Daesh positions in the camp and Hajjar Al-Aswad.
The area in southern Damascus is the last part of the capital not controlled by President Bashar Assad’s forces. Other insurgents in the area, including an Al-Qaeda-linked group, have said they would relocate to rebel-held regions in northern Syria.