The Russian Forces start spreading in the Syrian south in fulfillment of the second step of the American – Jordanian – Russian agreement regarding the Syrian south

The SOHR learned that the Russian Forces, who arrived on the 18th of July 2017 to Daraa Province, acting as “Disengagement Forces” that shall monitor the implementation of the southern Syria agreement brokered by Russia, Jordan and US, started to spread today, the 21st of July, in Daraa Province and in other positions in the southern Syria as the truce still holds on for the thirteenth day in the three southern provinces of Daraa, Al-Quneitra and Al-Suwaidaa. The SOHR published three days ago that upon their arrival, the Russian forces were positioned in Al-Muthbeen village and in its vicinity in the northern countryside of Daraa, in preparation for deploying them in their capacity as disengagement forces between the regime forces and their allied militiamen on one hand and the rebel and Islamic factions in the provinces of Daraa, Al-Suwaidaa and Quneitra.

The deployment of the Russian Forces is one of the stipulated items of the Russian-American-Jordanian agreement which provided for the deployment of Russian military police forces to the cease-fire zones in the three provinces included in the agreement to monitor the ceasefire and the truce implementation. Meanwhile, the factions operating in Al-Suwaidaa desert, which intersects with the southeastern part of Rif Dimashq, announced that they have not been informed by any regional or international entity about the ceasefire in southern Syria. The SOHR also obtained information from reliable sources to the effect 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 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 had also 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.