The Syrian south truce continues, violations decline in the last two days of it

The southern Syria truce brokered by the US, Russia and Jordan, continues to hold on for the fourth day since its implementation on Sunday, the 9th of July 2017, in the provinces of Al-Suwaidaa, Al-Quneitra and Daraa. The SOHR documented that violations of the truce significantly declined in the third and fourth days of its implementation after the escalation witnessed in its second day. However, the SOHR documented new violations after midnight including a targeting of an area in Daraa Camp with mortar shells. Meanwhile, the regime forces targeted with heavy-machine guns the contact lines with the factions in Al-Wardat area in Al-Lajat area in the northeastern countryside of Daraa. No casualties were reported. The SOHR also documented last night new violations including the firing of several shells by the regime forces on the western Al-Gharaya town, causing material damages. In addition, clashes continued in the Syrian Desert in the northeastern countryside of Al-Suwaidaa, which is adjacent to the southeastern part of Rif Dimashq, between the regime forces and their allied militiamen, of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, on one hand and Ahmad Al-Abdu Forces and Jaysh Usud Al-Sharqiyyah on the other. Clashes were accompanied by an intensive artillery and rocket shelling between both parties. No casualties were reported.

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.