The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

For the third consecutive day, Daraa province witnesses continued escalation of shelling and targeting between the regime forces with their allies and the factions after failing to reach agreement about the south

Daraa province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the shelling renewed by the regime forces on places in Daraa province this morning, Wednesday, the 20th of June 2018, where they targeted by several shells areas in the towns of al-Hara and KafrShams in the northern countryside of Daraa, which killed a person in KafrShams, raising to 3 including a member of the Civil Defense, the number of citizens who were killed during the last 24 hours of escalation, the factions also targeted by several rocket shells sites of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them in Muthallath al-Mawt area (triangle of death) northwest of Daraa, while the regime forces shelled after midnight of yesterday places in Daraa city and the Western al-Gharya town in its eastern countryside, while the factions targeted sites and vehicles of members of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them at the international highway of Daraa – Damascus, while the Syrian Observatory documented the killing of at least two members of the regime forces, one of them was a field commander in al-Sahhabat Regiment of the Brigadier Suhail Hassan, aka “the Tiger”.

The Syrian Observatory published last night that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored that the regime’s artillery shelling renewed today evening, Tuesday, the 19th of June 2018, on areas in Nahte town in the eastern countryside of Daraa, as well as other areas in Rakham village and the towns of Sayda, Busra al-Harir, the Western Al-Gharya and Al-Karak Al-Sharqi, where the shelling caused further material damage, without information about casualties caused by this renewed shelling, amid displacement from Al-Harra town, and preparations by the factions operating in the area to get ready for a military operation for which the regime forces are preparing towards the town, where the factions operating in the area called on the rest of the factions of Daraa to take part in supporting them, while the SOHR monitored shelling by the regime forces which targeted areas in Daraa city, without information about injuries, and in the same context, 3 fighters at least of the factions were killed, as a result of clashes against several gunmen, sources said that they are cells of Jaysh Khaled Ibn Al-Waleed which pledges allegiance to the “Islamic State” organization, and information about killing 5 members of the latter, on the road to Al-Lajat area in the north-eastern countryside of Daraa, which witnessed today and yesterday, violent clashes between the regime forces and gunmen loyal to them against the rebel and Islamic factions, in places in the vicinity of the area.

The Syrian Observatory published few hours ago, that 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.

Also 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, and 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.