BEIRUT, May 17, 2016 – At least 50 fighters and two civilians were killed Tuesday in clashes between rival anti-regime groups east of Syria’s capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The powerful Jaish al-Islam, or Army of Islam, has been locked in clashes with rival factions led by Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate in the opposition stronghold of Eastern Ghouta. Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said nearly three weeks of fighting had killed more than 500 fighters and a dozen civilians. One of the slain civilians has been identified as the only specialist gynecologist still practicing in Eastern Ghouta. Location map photo courtesy of syriadirect.org ”This is absolutely a power struggle,” Abdel Rahman told AFP. Eastern Ghouta is the largest rebel bastion in Damascus province, and Jaish al-Islam had long been dominant in the district. The Saudi-backed faction is one of the key rebel players in the High Negotiations [...]
