Islamic State militants infiltrated a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus on Wednesday, marking the deepest foray yet by the extremist group into the capital, seat of President Bashar Al-Assad’s power, Syrian opposition activists and Palestinian officials said.
Islamic State fighters, who control large swaths of territory in northern Syria, entered the Yarmouk camp from the nearby Hajar Aswad neighbourhood in southern Damascus and were clashing with a Palestinian group inside the camp. If they gain full control of the camp, they can potentially threaten the heart of the capital.
Yarmouk, a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus, has been under government siege for nearly two years. The camp had witnessed fighting in the past between government forces and militants who control much of the camp.
