Stray dogs, sheep and goats roam in destroyed buildings in Harasta, near the Syrian capital Damascus. The city, situated in the Eastern Ghoutta region, was the scene of heavy fighting in the Syrian Civil War, specifically during the Battle of Harasta in 2017 and early 2018. Islamist-led rebels took Damascus in a lightning offensive on December 8, ousting President Bashar al-Assad and ending five decades of Baath rule in Syria. IMAGES