After hours of absence, warplanes and helicopters re-target Daraa province which witnessed and death of more than 400 civilians, fighters, and members in 18 days of escalation
Daraa Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored a cautious calm in Daraa province after midnight of yesterday, except for rocket shelling by the regime forces on al-Naimah town in the eastern countryside of Daraa, amid the absence of warplanes and helicopters from the province’s airspace until Friday morning, the 6th of July 2018, where the warplanes carried out more than 14 raids on Om Elmiathin town and its outskirts, and a strike targeted an area west of Daraa near the Syrian – Jordanian border, in conjunction with raids targeted Tafas area in the northwestern countryside of Daraa, also the helicopters dropped barrel bombs on the area between the towns of al-Tayba and Om Elmiathin east of Daraa, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the majority of fighters of the factions withdrew from al-Naimah town, fearing of being besieged after regime forces’ advancement and their firearm-control of the road of Om Elmiathin – al- Naimah, while the bombardments and raids have caused more casualties, where it rose to 159 citizens including 32 children and 33 women, the number of people who were killed since the 19th of June 2018, who were killed in the raids, intense rocket and artillery shelling and raids by the Russians and regime’s warplanes on Daraa Province, and in mine explosion, also the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented at least 135 casualties of the regime forces and gunmen loyal to them who have been killed since the 19th of June 2018, the date of starting the regime’s military operation in Daraa countryside, also it rose to 112 at least, the number of fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions who were killed in the same period, as a result of the aerial and rocket shelling and clashes.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday the air and rocket strikes are continuing on separated areas in Daraa, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored that the warplanes carried out renewed raids through which they targeted places in the outskirts of Nasib town, Tafas and Al-Naimah, also helicopters dropped more than 10 explosive barrels on areas in Daraa Al-Balad in Daraa city, and the regime forces also shelled places in Al-Harrah town north of Daraa, while rocket shells fell on regime’s controlled areas in Daraa city, where a person was killed and others were injured, also a child girl was killed as a result of the fall of shells on Da’el town over which the regime forces recently imposed their control, and these operations of aerial and ground shelling come at less violent pace than their precedents before they stopped for about 2 hours, also it is supposed that a new round of negotiations will start tomorrow, Friday, preceded by a cessation of aerial and rocket shelling and the Syrian Observatory published hours ago, that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the return of the warplanes to target areas in Daraa province, after they stopped to bomb the province for about 2 hours, where the Syrian Observatory monitored bombardment by warplanes on areas in the towns of Nasib and Om Elmiathin along with their bombardment on areas in Daraa Al-Balad in Daraa city, which caused material damage, without information about casualties so far, where these raids come after the shelling which lasted for the past 24 hours, and targeted areas in Daraa city and the towns of Nasib, Sayda, Al-Naimah and Om Elmiathin by more than 2350 air and ground strikes, where the SOHR monitored that about 900 strikes were carried out by the Russian warplanes and the regime’s warplanes and helicopters on Daraa city and its countryside, and they were coincided with artillery and rocket shelling by more than 1450 artillery and rocket shells and missiles believed to be ground-to-ground which targeted the abovementioned areas in the province, and the sources confirmed that the bombardment comes at less violent pace than this one before the consent to return to the negotiation table.
In the same context, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored that the regime forces managed to impose their control over the entire south-eastern sector of Daraa, in the Syrian border triangle with Jordan – the administrative border of Al-Suwaidaa with Daraa – Ghasm village, after the military factions which used to be located in the area had withdrawn, where the regime forces returned to be presented on the border with Jordan, and became at a distance of about 11 km from the free zone between Syria and Jordan at the border line, thus, the regime forces have expanded their control in Daraa province, where they became in control of about 67.5% of the area of Daraa province, with about 2516 square km of the area of the province, while the factions’ scope of control has decreased to 25.9% of the area of the province, with an area of about 967 square km, where the towns of Nasib, Al-Tayba, Al-Naimah and Om Elmiathin are still remaining under their control in the eastern and south-eastern countryside of Daraa, while Jaysh Khalid Ibn al-Walid is in control of an area of 6.6% of Daraa province, where it controls towns and villages in Yarmouk Basin, on the border of the occupied Syrian Golan with an area of about 250 square km.
It is noteworthy that the Syrian Observatory published yesterday, Wednesday the 4th of July 2018, that the negotiations between the Russian side and representatives of Daraa province failed as a result of the refusal of factions operating in Daraa to hand over the heavy weapons they have in Daraa province, and the failure of the negotiations is coincided with fears of the starting the Russian bombardment and the return of the regime forces’ military operation in Daraa countryside, the SOHR also published in the past hours that the Russians have rejected any amendments by the representatives of the opposition to the Russian proposal, while the negotiating committee representing Daraa called for adding other clauses regarding the implementation of the agreement, including opening a corridor towards the Syrian north to allow those who refuse the agreement in Daraa to leave to the Syrian north, and to provide Russian guarantees that the defected people of the regime forces would not be arrested, and so is the case for those who are due to the conscription service in regime’s army, the approval or refusal of the Russians for these suggestions has not been declared yet, while the locals are still afraid to return to the areas they have displaced from in the countryside of Daraa Province, because of their distrust of the regime and of the Russians, and their fear of the regime not to commit to Russian guarantees or the Russians themselves giving a blind eye on these violations by the regime, also it is anticipation for the final approval of the implementation of the agreement, which included other items based on handing over the entire heavy and medium weapons by the factions working in Daraa Province, while the light weapons remain with them for a definite period, these factions and those who wish of their members join the 5th Legion; which was established by Russia to fight jihadist groups and the “Islamic State” organization, the border crossing of Nasib with Jordan will be handed over to regime’s customs, the civil police, passport department, and police department, also the Russian police and the regime police will spread in cities, towns, and villages of the countryside of Daraa, and the government departments will also return to work in all areas, provided that the forces of regime’s army forces do not enter the remaining villages, towns, and cities that are still under the control of the factions until now, and Russia guarantees that the citizens or the fighters will not be arrested on the checkpoints while moving in Daraa Province, also members of the 5th Legion will spread on the Syrian – Jordanian border and on the border with the occupied Syrian Golan, and regarding the citizens and fighters wishing to “settle their situation” and resolved the issue of conscription; it will be agreed on having their conscription date postponed or joining certain points, also, all services will be provided and introduced to Daraa province once again.