The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Recent developments across Syria

 

May 13, 2021

 

 

Regime-controlled areas

 

-SOHR activists have reported that the regime security services have arrested five brothers after storming a farm they live in, in the area between Wadi Ain Terma and Wadi Kafrbanta in eastern Ghouta five days ago. According to SOHR sources, the detention operation has happened over accusations against the five brothers of “hiding some members of opposition factions during their control of eastern Ghouta and giving them information that helped in attacking and later controlling the Dohkania area in eastern Damascus in September 2014. The location of the defendants’ farms which is overlooking the road between al-Maliha  and Jaramana at the opposite side of the Dohkania area facilitated sneaking the information.

 

-Syrian Observatory activists have documented paper posters and publications stuck by unknown individuals on walls of al-Mazareeb village in western Daraa countryside. The posters called on the inhabitants to boycott the incoming presidential elections in Syria. The posters distributed on the roads and stuck on the walls read “don’t give your voice to the man who imprisoned women and children, displaced half of the Syrians, do not elect the Iranian spoiled agent and the ‘lord’ of the explosive barrels. Oh, families of detainees,  electing the tyrant means death of your sons.”

 

-Syrian Observatory activists have reported armed fight among members of the National Defence Forces over trafficking an amount of narcotics in Zanda village in the south of al-Qamishli city in al-Hasakah countryside. The conflicting members used machineguns and grenades.

 

-SOHR sources reported that Russian jets continue their airstrikes on the Syrian desert, as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activists have reported that Russian jets have carried out intensive airstrikes since Thursday dawn, targeting Athria desert in the eastern countryside of Hama and the surrounding areas of Jabal al-Bishri at the administrative borders between al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor, in an ongoing attempt to paralyze ISIS movement and put an end to its activity in the region, however, no casualties have been reported.

 

-SOHR activists have reported seeing a large Russian military column of nearly 85 vehicles leaving east Euphrates region this afternoon, heading to Aleppo city. However, no further details have been reported whether this movement is a part of the Russians’ withdrawal from the area or just a change of shifts.

 

 

SDF-held areas

 

-Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activists in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor have reported a spike in the number of detainees arrested during the SDF security campaign in the past hours in al-Shuhayl and al-Zer to about 40 people, where the arrested are accused of “belonging to ISIS”. A few hours earlier, SOHR said that Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the International Coalition continued their  security campaign in the town of al-Shuhayl for the third day in a row, as SDF-backed military force stormed houses in the town, in the early hours of Thursday morning, arresting seven people, including a family of five members. Meanwhile, another SDF-backed military force stormed the village of al-Zer in the same countryside, arresting 12 people, including a family of at least seven members. It is worth noting that several people are arrested on charges of “belonging to ISIS”, and they are released later when they are found not related to ISIS.

 

-In al-Raqqah province, a civilian was killed and another was injured due to the explosion of an old landmine on the outskirts of al-Khumaysiyah village in eastern al-Raqqah.

 

 

HTS-held areas

 

-SOHR activists in the “Putin- Erdogan” area have reported intensified missile strikes by factions of al-Fatah al-Mubeen operations room at positions of regime forces on the southern frontline of the countryside of Idlib. The strikes have been focused basically on Kafr Nabl and other areas in Jabal al-Zawiyah, amid reports of causalities. On the other hand, regime forces have targeted, with shells, heavy and medium weapons, villages and cities under the control of the factions in the Jabal al-Zawiyah in the south of Idlib, and Shal al-Ghab in the north-west of Hama, but no casualties have been reported.

 

-SOHR activists have documented the death of a member of the factions due to clashes between two families from neighbouring villages in Jisr al-Shughur countryside in western Idlib. According to SOHR sources an armed man from al-Kufayr village attacked persons from Bzit village in the south of Jisr al-Shughur, killing a man and injuring another. The clashes have evolved to retaliation between the two families, while Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham interfered to defuse the tension. This development coincides with the proliferation of weapons and escalating security chaos in HTS-held areas.

 

-A new-born girl was found this morning at al-Khaliliya village junction, east of Bazaa town in the countryside of al-Bab city in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.