Water Supplies to Syria's Damascus From Wadi Barada Almost Restored

Water supplies to the Syrian capital of Damascus from the Wadi Barada region have been almost completely restored, and some 2,500 militants have laid down their arms, Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, the chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Syrian capital gets most of the water from springs in the Wadi Barada valley. Water supplies were drastically reduced in late December.

"The water supplies to the Syrian capital have almost been restored in Wadi Barada. As many as 2,500 militants have laid down their arms. The heads of local councils of nine settlements have expressed their readiness to join the reconciliation process," Rudskoi told a briefing.

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front and Daesh, banned in a range of countries, including Russia.