The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

After capturing the area nearly four years ago | Syrian regime’s authorities allow partial return of residents of Wadi Barada villages in Damascus countryside

Reliable sources in north-western Damascus countryside have told SOHR that towns and villages in the area of Wadi Barada have witnessed the partial return of their residents after the Syrian regime authorities allowed them to enter, after being prohibited for years.

Syrian Observatory sources have said that a large part of the houses of civilians are destroyed by previous military operations, and some houses were turned into military headquarters belonging to the 4th Division and the regime forces and loyalists. The return included the villages of Al-Khadra, Bassima, Deir Muqrin, Al-Husseiniya and other villages in Wadi Barada.

It is worth nothing that the regime forces were able to control all the cities and towns of Wadi Barada area in western Damascus countryside in early 2017, after the signing of a reconciliation agreement between the opposition and the regime that required the departure of those who refused to settle their situation to the areas of northern Syria.

On September 7, reliable sources told SOHR that regime security services have issued arrest warrants against tens of young people from Wadi Barada in Rif Dimashq, who had been fighters of opposition factions and chose to stay in their areas after striking reconciliation deals with regime security services.

According to SOHR sources, lists of the names of the wanted were distributed to all checkpoints in Wadi Barada areas, as these young people have been hiding for fear of being sent to fight on frontlines in northern Syria. It is worth noting that most of the wanted young people are from the villages and towns of Deir Qanoun, Kafr Al-Zayt, Deir Maqran, Al-Hosayniyyah and Basimah in Wadi Barada in Rif Dimashq.

On Feb 19, reliable source informed SOHR that regime security services revoke “settled-status” of more than 300 young people from Wadi Barada, those who settled their security situation with regime, in countryside of the capital Damascus.

This development comes nearly three years after they settled their situation with Syrian regime after refusing to move to the north of Syria, according to Observatory sources, regime intelligence sent lists of rejected names, those whose their settlements with regime were rejected, to the “reconciliation committees” in the area, to be distributed to young people and asked them to go to regime security branches within a period of time not more than a week under threat of security operation and arrest.