As a part of the ongoing escalation in the Syrian South…ongoing artillery shelling targets the east and north-east of Daraa leaving casualties and wounded
Daraa Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: both northern and eastern countryside of Daraa, is witnessing continued escalation in terms of shelling and targeting, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored more explosions which rocked the area, caused by shelling by the regime forces on areas in the towns and villages of Nahte, Om Walad, Busra al-Harir and the vicinity of the Brigade 52, as well as villages in Al-Lajat area in the north-eastern countryside of Daraa, where the shelling targeted these villages and towns by rocket and artillery shells, which resulted in the death of 2 persons including a member of the civil defense, while others were injured with varying severity, and this escalation is coincided with the factions’ declaration of the area of Daraa – Damascus Highway as a military area, and the overflight of reconnaissance planes over the area, in the same context, several mortar shells fell on areas in Kharbat Ghazala town, which is controlled by the regime forces in the northern countryside of Daraa, which resulted in the death of a child and the fall of wounded.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published few hours ago, that the area of Al-Lajat in the eastern countryside of Daraa is still witnessing ongoing bombardment by the regime forces where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored that warplanes believed to be Russian, carried out more raids on places in Msikah area in Al-Lajat area, raising to 12, the number of strikes which targeted the area, accompanied by escalating the regime forces’ shelling on places in the villages and towns of Msikah, Busra al-Harir, Asim, Hahte, the Western Al-Gharya, Al-Harra and Om Walad, in Al-Lajat area and the eastern countryside of Daraa, in conjunction with violent clashes between the rebel and Islamic factions against the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, in the outskirts of Msikah town, which resulted in the damage of a tank of the regime forces and the fall of human losses in their ranks, also the rebel and Islamic factions targeted by mortars, positions of the regime forces in Labin area near the administrative border of Al-Suwaidaa province, where the Syrian Observatory published few hours ago, that it monitored the sound of violent explosions in the north-eastern sector of Daraa countryside, caused by bombardment by warplanes on Msikah area, which witnessed clashes between the regime forces and their allies against the rebel and Islamic factions, during the past 24 hours, along with the continued rocket shelling by the regime forces on places in Al-Lajat area in the eastern countryside of Daraa, where the shelling targeted the villages of Asim and Sor as well as other villages in the area, along with shelling on areas in the Western Al-Gharya, in the eastern countryside of Daraa, also the regime forces targeted by heavy machineguns, places in Alma town, while targeting and crossfire took place in the area of Busra al-Harir east of Daraa, between the regime forces and gunmen loyal to them against the factions, the factions also targeted positions of the regime forces in Al-Lajat area and Daraa city, while the regime forces shelled areas in Daraa Al-Balad in Daraa city, without information about casualties so far, and in the same context, helicopters dropped leaflets on areas in Daraa countryside today morning, some of them say “Dear people…your brothers in the Eastern Ghouta took the right decision and participated with the Syrian Arab Army in bringing the militiamen out of their towns and returned to their normal life…you deserve to leave away from the terror of gunmen who are related to abroad…the strangers do not good for us…together, we can get the normal life back to our towns and villages…together, we can make peace and prosperity in our precious homeland, Syria”. And in others “Dear people… the Syrian Arab Army fights to save you from the militiamen and terrorists who ravaged your towns and villages…be the voice of your sons and brothers in the Syrian Arab Army who sacrifice themselves for you, and expel the terrorists from your areas as your brothers in the Eastern Ghouta and Qalamoun did…do not let them use you as human armors…show your strength, chivalry and courage for all Syrian people in taking the responsibility of our honorable homeland, Syria”.
And the Syrian Observatory monitored calm in the Syrian South, on the contact lines between the regime forces and gunmen loyal to them against the rebel and Islamic factions, started on Friday night, the 15th of June 2018, and lasted for 48 hours along with the preparations that have been taking place since about 3 weeks by the regime forces and their allies and between the factions, for an expected military operation if the local, regional and international parties fail definitively to reach an agreement about the Syrian south, which has been witnessing since July 2017 an agreement between Jordan, Russia and the United States of America about de-escalation and decrease the combat operations.
This clam in the Syrian south coincides with the failure of the international and regional parties to find a consensual formula about the future of the Syrian south, and at the same time the Iranians are still refusing to withdraw with the militia loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, also intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that no consensus had yet been reached about the Iranian withdrawal towards other Syrian areas, and no agreement has been reached on any items about the Syrian south, which has been witnessing a Russian – American – Jordanian agreement since July 2017, and this agreement has witnessed hundreds of violations by the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of Syrian and non-Syrian nationalities, as well as the rebel and Islamic factions operating in the areas where the agreement takes place in al-Quneitra, al-Suwaidaa and Daraa provinces, while Daraa province, and al-Quneitra province, has been witnessing since the 25th of May 2018 the regime forces’ continuation of their mobilizations and bringing military reinforcements of their members and the militiamen loyal to them, in a preparation for a military operation in both provinces of Daraa and Al-Quneitra in the Syrian South, which has been witnessing a truce and a cessation of combat operations since 2017, where more reinforcements have arrived in the northern countryside of Al-Quneitra and Daraa countryside, in a preparation for a military operation which is expected to start in the case that an agree is not reached with the factions of the Syrian South, and the Syrian Observatory published few hours ago, that it monitored the factions of Daraa city and its countryside fortifying their points of deployment and position, and putting barricades and preparing the military vehicles, weapons as well as providing points and sites with weapons and ammunitions, and intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that this fortifying process comes in preparation for a potential military operation, of which the regime and the Russians may carry out in Daraa province and Syrian south, where the fortifications included sites of the factions in the countryside of Quneitra as a part of the preparation process for a violent clashes the regime forces may launch with their allies at any time in the coming days, despite the Russian – American – Jordanian agreement in the Syrian south that has been in effect since the 9th of July 2017, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 7th of June 2018, that the Iranian Forces are still refusing the Russian proposal in withdrawing from Daraa and Quneitra provinces as well as the entire Syrian south towards other areas in central Syria, the sources told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the Iranian Forces imposed a condition in exchange for their withdrawal towards the desert and central Syria, which is the evacuation of al-Tanf base of the American and International Coalition Forces on the Syrian – Iraqi border, as a condition for them to leave the Syrian south, of which Russia is working with the regime to reach a solution about the area, through local discussions with the factions and regional with Syria’s neighboring countries.