The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

At least 12 members of the regime forces were killed during the battles to reach the border of Daraa with Jordan with a Russian air cover to separate its eastern countryside from its western countryside

Violent clashes are still taking place between the regime forces backed by its allied militiamen against the rebel and Islamic factions in areas in the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad and areas in the vicinity of Tha’yelya hill and the Air Defense Battalion in the west of Daraa city, which have been controlled by the regime forces after an offensive carried out today’s dawn by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, with the support of Russian warplanes and the regime’s warplanes and helicopters. The factions are seeking to achieve progress and regain control of the Battalion and the hill, and stop the regime from holding control of these areas, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored heavy shelling accompanied the combat operation since the midnight of Monday – Tuesday until now, and the warplanes carried out 85 raids, airstrikes and missile shelling on areas in the city of Daraa, where the helicopters dropped at least 55 barrel bombs on the clash areas and areas in Daraa city and its vicinity, while the Russian and the regime’s warplanes carried out about 20 raids on the city, amid the bombing of about 30 missiles believed to be ground to ground, launched by the regime forces on the same places.

Reliable sources also confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that at least 12 members of the regime forces and its allied militiamen were killed and others were injured and captured, while several other fighters were killed and injured in these clashes and intensive bombing. In case the regime forces hold control of the hill and the battalion and were able to advance towards the Jordanian borders, this would separate the western and north western countryside of Daraa from eastern and northeastern countryside of Daraa, and the factions will be completely besieged in each side.