Its intended goal was to capture the Damascus suburbs of Qaboun and Barzeh from rebels[22] led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

[citation needed] In 2014, the rebel-held neighborhoods of Qaboun, Barzeh and Tishreen reached official or semi-official truces with government forces, including some government provision of some amenities (electricity and water) and rebel forces granting access to a strategic road through Barzeh and to the Tishreen Military Hospital.

[22] Starting on 18 February, the Syrian Arab Army, supported by Hezbollah fighters, launched rockets and heavy artillery fire on rebel positions in the area.

[25] On 26 February, a ground assault was started with the Army reportedly capturing the majority of the farm area between Qaboun and Barzeh.

[34] On 18 March, the Syrian Army reported that it had infiltrated the rebel's defenses in Qaboun and seized an FSA brigade headquarters.

[35] Rebels from inside Jobar launched the attack on Army positions close to the Qaboun front, with fighting concentrated on the Karash-Jobar axis.

[38] The siege of Qaboun was temporarily broken[citation needed] after the Syrian army withdrew from a few points in order to avoid being overwhelmed by the rebels.

The suicide attack was foiled before it reached its target, but still the rebels managed to fracture Army defenses and once again capture the Fabric Factory after two hours of clashes.

[54] At the start of April, Army operations in Qaboun were renewed and government troops reportedly seized five buildings blocks in the southeastern part of the district in one day.

[66] On 28 April, intense inter-factional fighting erupted in the Eastern Ghouta, with Jaysh al-Islam fighters assaulting HTS and Faylaq Al-Rahman forces.

[68][69] As the inter-rebel conflict continued into May, government forces reportedly broke through the rebel's last line of defense in the southeastern section of Qaboun, capturing a large number of building blocks.

[70] On 7 May, the Army was still advancing in Qaboun[71] when the military suspended its operations after the rebels agreed to surrender and start negotiating to evacuate the district.

[75] However, on 10 May, some HTS fighters refused to evacuate, calling it "forced displacement" and instead showered Syrian Army positions in Damascus with missiles.

In retaliation, the Army launched an assault on areas of Qaboun held by the rebel group, resulting in the capture of 27 buildings near Al-Taqwa mosque.

[89] According to relief agencies, the majority of residents in Qaboun (a total of 3,000–3,500 people) left in May, with those remaining facing a desperate humanitarian situation without access to water or medical support.

[90] On 29 May, the last group of militants and their family members were transported from the Barzeh suburb of east Damascus to the Idlib Governorate, per the agreement put in place between the government and rebels.