The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The first 24 hours of the regional-international truce to halt hostilities in the Southern Syria end with violations and violent attacks by the regime forces in Al-Suwaidaa countryside

The first 24 hours of the Russian-American-Jordanian truce, which was put into effect at 12 pm yesterday, the 9th of July 2017, reflected a prevailing calm in the Provinces of Al-Suwaidaa, Daraa and Al-Quneitra. However, the SOHR documented violations of the agreement before and after midnight. These violations include the fall of 3 shells on Tarik Al-Sad neighborhood and Daraa Al-Balad in Daraa city and an exchange of fire was heard in areas in Daraa Al-Balad with no casualties. The SOHR also documented yesterday before midnight violations of the agreement carried out by the regime forces when they fired two shells on Saida town in the eastern countryside of Daraa. There was also an exchange of shelling between one of the rebel factions and the regime forces in Al-Naima town and its surroundings in the same countryside in addition to the firing of two shells on areas in Daraa Al-Balad. As for the central countryside of Al-Quneitra, an exchange of targeting using heavy machine-guns occurred between the regime forces and some of the factions in the areas of Khan Arnaba and Al-Samadaniyya and MasHara and on the road to Jebbata Al-Khashab. Information about the injury of one person in Saida town was reported.

The SOHR documented in the last hours of the first day of the truce an attack launched by the regime forces on the northeastern countryside of Al-Suwaidaa city along with shelling by the warplanes and the regime forces on areas attacked. Clashes are taking place in such areas between the regime forces and their allied militiamen on one hand and the rebel factions backed by the International Coalition on the other. The regime forces managed by means of such clashes to take a step ahead of the factions.

It should be mentioned that in al-Suwaidaa province there are Jaysh al-Asha’er, Ahmad al-Abdu Forces and Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiyyah, while the southern factions which supported by regional and international parties in Daraa Province, including Jaysh al-Yarmouk, Hamzah Brigade, Umari Brigade, the Islamic movement of Ahrar al-Sham, Hayyaat Ta Harir al-Sham, Soqur al-Islam Brigade, Ahrar Nawa Division, al-Haramain Brigade, Fajr al-Umma Division, al-Moataz Billah Brigade, Shabab al-Sunnah Brigade, Mujahidee Horan Brigades, Ababil Horan, Usud al-Sunni Division, Bayt al-Maqdes Group, Shuhada’a al-Huriyah Brigade, Jaysh al-Moataz and other factions, while in Al-Quneitra Province there are Jabhat Thowwar Syria, al-Ezz Brigade, Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamic Movement of Ahrar al-Sham, Forsan al-Golan Brigade, al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigade, al-Sebtayn Brigade, 46th Infantry Brigades and Ansar al-Islam Front, while in Yarmouk Basin area in the western countryside of Daraa is controlled by Jaysh Khalid Ibn al-Walid who swore allegiance to the “Islamic State” Organization.

Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the agreement also provides for an item which is deploying Russian military police forces in the cease-fire areas in the three provinces of the agreement, to oversee the cease-fire and carry out the truce, while the factions operating in the Desert of al-Suwaidaa which is interconnected with the southeast of Rif Dimashq reported that they have not been informed by any party regional or international about a cease-fire in the Syrian south, also the SOHR obtained information from reliable sources that the agreement provides for the withdrawal of the regime forces and their allied militiamen and the rebel and Islamic factions from contact lines in all areas, the deployment of the regime’s internal security forces in these lines whereas the rebel and Islamic factions participating in the agreement will be assigned the task of protecting all public and private establishments. In addition, it also stipulates the departure of all those unwilling to participate in the agreement, the full withdrawal of the regime’s allied militiamen – of non-Syrian nationalities, preparation of the infrastructure necessary for the return of refugees from Jordan successively, holding municipal elections and granting municipalities broad powers, and finally the delivery of humanitarian aid to the areas that abide by the ceasefire. The SOHR published on the 17th of June 2017 that a Russian-American-Jordanian truce was put into effect in Daraa Province and was extended till the 20th of June but came to an end as a result of the renewed aerial and artillery shelling by the regime forces and their allied militiamen, helicopters and warplanes.