Dahiyat Harasta/Dahiyah al-Assad
ضاحية حرستا\ضاحية الأسد | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 33°34′52″N 36°21′36″E / 33.58111°N 36.36000°E | |
Country | Syria |
Governorate | Rif Dimashq |
District | Douma |
Subdistrict | Harasta |
Population (2004 census) | |
• Total | 9,858[1] |
Dahiyat Harasta or Dahiyat al-Assad (Arabic: ضاحية حرستا or ضاحية الأسد, literally: Harasta Suburb or al-Assad Suburb) is a suburb in southern Syria, administratively part of the Rif Dimashq Governorate, located northeast of Damascus, near Harasta in Eastern Ghouta.
The suburb was established in 1982 by Hafez al-Assad to house Syrian Arab Army officers and their families.[2]
On 4 September 2015, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that dozens of shells landed on Dahiyat al- Assad, information reported casualties. The clashes took place between the regime forces and allied militiamen against the rebel and Islamist factions.[3]
On 10 September 2015, non-State armed opposition groups made advances from Eastern Ghouta towards Tall al-Kurdi and reached positions close to Adra Prison and Dahiyat al-Assad. Around 15,000 civilians were temporarily displaced from Dahiyat al-Asad and surrounding areas as a result. Government forces subsequently halted the advances in Dahiyat al-Asad.[4]
On 12 September 2015, rebels pushed into the town of Dhahiyat Al-Assad, but were reportedly pushed back by the National Defence Forces (NDF).[5] Around 200 men of the 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard were brought in as reinforcements to recapture two hills overlooking Dhahiyat Al-Assad.[6]