Maintenance starts to fix water supply system to Damascus

Maintenance workers entered the Barada Valley northwest of the capital Damascus, to fix the Ain Fijeh spring, the main water supply to the capital, state TV reported.

The move has been the government priority as the spring water has been cut off from the capital since Dec. 23, due to intense battles in the region between the government forces and rebel groups including the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

The government accused the rebels of severing the water pumping to the capital, while the latter said it's the government forces' shelling that renders the spring out of service.

Several agreements to reach a truce in that area were met with a dead end, which caused more military operations.

The state TV said the water pumping into the capital will resume once the repair work is completed.

According to the new agreement with the rebels, the report said the rebels who accepted the truce and the reconciliation with the government will be given amnesty and return to normal lives, while the ultra-radicals will be deported to the northwestern province of Idlib Friday evening.

It added that the recent truce will cover all the 10 towns of Barada Valley.

source: Xinhua