Syrian military pummels ISIS-held districts in Damascus

Syrian government forces used warplanes, helicopters and artillery on Sunday to pound districts of the capital held by the Islamic State group, in a bid to enforce an evacuation deal reached with the militants earlier in the week.

The militants agreed to give up their last pocket in southern Damascus on Friday but have yet to begin surrendering to government forces and relocating to ISIS-held areas elsewhere in the country.

State-run Ikhbariya TV showed thick gray smoke billowing from the IS-held Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood Sunday, and government warplanes streaking overhead amid heavy bombardment of the area. Hundreds of ISIS fighters and allied militants are holed up in Hajar al-Aswad and the nearby Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp.

Residents of Damascus reported hearing loud booms throughout the night and Sunday morning.