Terrorists Kill Head of Damascus Negotiating Team in Wadi Barada
DAMASCUS (Tasnim) – The head of the Syrian government’s negotiating team in Wadi Barada, a vital water source for Damascus, has been assassinated by Takfiri terrorists near the capital.
According to Tasnim dispatches, Major General Ahmed al-Ghadban was killed by terrorists’ snipers on Saturday while he and repair teams were leaving the area.
Maintenance workers arrived in Syria's militant-held Wadi Barada Friday to fix the water facility there.
Earlier, Wadi Barada’s governor said a deal had been reached between Damascus and Takfiri militants, and water would soon flow back into Damascus.
The reported deal comes after weeks of fighting in the region, 15 kilometers northwest of Damascus, which has threatened a fragile truce in place since Dec. 30.
General al-Ghadban was in the area to finalize the deal with the militants in the area, but it seems that they are not interested in any peace process.
The latest developments came after the Syrian army announced on Friday that government forces had made new territorial gains in Wadi Barada, capturing the village of Basima after heavy airstrikes and shelling.
The terrorists have damaged water infrastructure and left some 5.5 million people in the capital and its suburbs facing water shortages, according to the UN.
Fighting has continued in Wadi Barada despite the start of the ceasefire, which is intended to pave the way for new peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, which Russia confirmed earlier were scheduled for Jan. 23.
