On 12 August , the Syrian Army and its allies surrounded the heavily fortified pocket of al-Safa , which is the last pocket of ISIL in As-Suwayda Governorate and Rif-Damasiq Governorate . On 16 August , ISIL asked for a ceasefire with the Syrian Army . ISIL offered to release the kidnapped civilians from the Sweida Governorate in exchange for safe passage to the Al-Mayadeen countryside in rural Deir Ezzor . The Syrian Arab Army told the Islamic State that they will not accept anything other than a complete surrender of this mountain and the release of the 30 civilians that were kidnapped by their fighters . The Syrian army sealed off the entire Al-Safa mountain on 23 August after several days of fighting
kidnapped civilians
2018 As-Suwayda attacks
As-Suwayda offensive (August–November 2018)