Negotiations postponed for three days | Tense calm prevails in Um Batna, amid efforts to maintain wanted individuals in the town
Al-Quneitra Province – Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: SOHR activists have monitored tense calm prevailing in Um Batna town in the middle countryside of al-Quneitra following yesterday’s developments, as regime forces have allowed the residents to travel in and out the town. This calm coincided with deployment of regime forces in the surrounding areas of the town, along with boosting their checkpoints there.
On the other hand, the new round of negotiations supposed to be held between dignitaries of Um Batna town and other dignitaries from surrounding towns on one hand, and regime forces on the other have been postponed for three days, amid efforts to prevent the evacuation of specific young people to north Syria region, as regime forces demanded.
Yesterday, SOHR sources reported the end of the first round of negotiations between representatives of the Syrian regime and dignitaries from the countryside of Damascus, Daraa and al-Quneitra, but no agreement was reached. While preparations were underway for new rounds of negotiations regarding the recent developments in Um Batna town.
According to SOHR sources, regime forces demanded the evacuation of ten people from Um Batna town, who had launched the attack on the hill of Jaba orchards, and the settlement of security situations of the people who passed their date of joining the mandatory service in regime’s army.
A few hours earlier, reliable sources informed SOHR that regime forces brought in military reinforcement to the surrounding areas of Um Batna town in the middle countryside of al-Quneitra, where they cordoned off the town. Meanwhile, negotiations were underway between the town’s dignitaries and regime officers, as regime forces conditioned the evacuation of some young people and wanted individuals to north Syria, amid popular rejection of these demands.
SOHR activists monitored in the morning growing tension in al-Quneitra near the border with the occupied Syrian Golan, as regime forces fired several rockets in the early hours of Saturday morning, targeting positions in Um Batna town in the middle countryside of al-Quneitra under the pretext that “yesterday’s attack on Jaba checkpoint was launched from Um Batna town”.
On the other hand, several residents were seen fleeing from Um Batna town for fear of a security campaign by regime forces in the town, especially since regime forces gave a deadline of only a few hours before storming that town.
It is worth noting that Jaba checkpoint, which came under attack yesterday, is located near Tel al-Koroum where Iranian-backed militias and the Lebanese Hezbollah are stationed.
In the previous night, SOHR sources reported that unknown gunmen attacked a military post of regime forces nearby Jaba village in al-Quneitra countryside, near the border with the occupied Syrian Golan. No casualties were reported.