Syrian army, police celebrate recapturing all of Damascus
Syrian government forces raised their flag over the Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus on Tuesday as state media promoted what it said was the "liberation" of the last quarters of the capital from rebels and Islamic State group militants.
Police motorcycles flying the flag roared into what was left of the neighborhood in a show for state media, and a detachment of soldiers raised the government's standard from the roof of what is now a shell of a building.
The ceremonies, broadcast on state-affiliated al-Ikhbariya TV, was meant to assure residents that Damascus was secure for the first time since protests broke out against President Bashar Assad in 2011. The government cracked down violently on the demonstrations, igniting the ongoing civil war.
Syria's military announced it had recaptured the camp and surrounding neighborhoods from Islamic State group militants on Monday, bringing the entire capital and its suburbs under full government control for the first time since the 2011.
