Syria Conflict: Army largely strips rebels of Eastern Ghouta 7 years on

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Now let's take a look at the strategic importance of Eastern Ghouta. And the months-long battle to drive out rebels from there. Natalie Pang has more.

Eastern Ghouta was home to nearly 2 million people before the start of the conflict. Now only about 400,000 people are left. It used to be an agricultural region, but eventually transformed to become one of Syria's major commercial and industrial hubs.

Four major rebel groups have been in control of Eastern Ghouta since 2012 -- the Islam Army, Failaq al-Rahman, Ahrar al-Sham, and the Levant Liberation Committee, also known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

This rebel-held region posed the last threat to the capital due to its proximity to government-controlled neighborhoods in the east of Damascus, and ongoing mortar attacks that target residential areas in the capital.

Since February 18, Russian-backed government forces embarked on a campaign to recapture the vast majority of Eastern Ghouta through a combination of air and ground assault and evacuation deals.

Troops pursued a divide-and-conquer strategy, seizing most of the enclave then breaking up what was left of it into three isolated pockets.

In total, more than 45-thousand people have left Eastern Ghouta under evacuation deals. Now Jaish al-Islam are the only rebels left clinging on to their turf after the others were sent packing.

The offensive has killed more than 1,600 civilians and left thousands of wounded. Authorities say about 150-thousand people are now displaced.

With the latest evacuations, the Syrian army have now retaken 95 percent of Eastern Ghouta. Natalie Pang CGTN.