Syrian Air Force Pounds Jobar with Air Strikes

As rebels retake parts of Jobar, the Syrian air force tries to counter with a barrage of air strikes. REPORT by syriadirect.org: Rebels led by Jaish al-Islam and other Islamist battalions retook several locations in east Jobar from the Syrian army Sunday as the battle for the strategic Damascus neighborhood continues to escalate, reported pro-opposition satellite channel Al Aan. “The rebels have checked the regime’s attack on the neighborhood with great valor in the shadow of the world’s preoccupation with Ayn al-Arab [Kobani],” Wael Alwan, a spokesman for the Islamic Union for the Soldiers of Sham, which has a strong presence in Jobar, told Syria Direct Monday. The rebels’ advance comes in the wake of regime’s recent introduction of the UR-77, a Russian-made heavy tank that fires missiles, in Jobar, reports Al-Arabiya. The Syrian army has increased its efforts to take Jobar ever since the US-led international alliance began bombing the Islamic State. Jobar is the closest rebel-held area to Damascus and is considered a gateway into East Ghouta, a series of towns to the east controlled by rebels. Full story: http://syriadirect.org/rss/1605-syria-direct-news-update-10-13-2014