Recent developments across Syria
May 15, 2021
Regime-controlled areas
-SOHR activists have documented the death of a girl after being hit with an indiscriminate gunshot while she was in the balcony of her house in Aleppo city. According to SOHR sources a dispute erupted between two regime-backed militiamen in al-Himaydiyyah neighbourhood, which evolved to an armed fight with individual weapons, amid growing panic among the area’s residents who called on disarming these militias. The entire Syrian geography suffers from the proliferation of weapons and deteriorating security state in light of prevalence of various militias and factions.
-In Daraa, SOHR activists in the eastern countryside of Daraa have reported an assassination attempt that targeted two men in the town of al-Karak al-Sharqi, as unknown gunmen opened fire on them, leaving the two people injured. It is worth noting that one of the targeted was a former HTS member, while the other person was a former member of a rebel faction who had struck reconciliation deals with regime after it took control of Daraa. Moreover, SOHR sources have reported that unknown gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying members of Da’el police station on the outskirts of Da’el city in the middle countryside of Daraa. The attack left one member injured and caused material damage, while the attackers managed to escape. Also, SOHR activists in the western countryside of Daraa have reported that unknown gunmen opened machinegun fire on a vehicle of the 112th Brigade of regime forces in the town of Ain Zikr, killing three members and wounding at least two others. As a result, regime forces were seen being put on high alert and brought in reinforcement to the area along with imposing a curfew in the town.
-Russian fighter jets are still continuing their operations in the Syrian desert, in an attempt to put an end to the movements and activities of ISIS members in large spaces of the desert. Russian jets have launched dozens of airstrikes since yesterday evening, targeting caves and bunkers in the surrounding areas of Jabal al-Bishri at the administrative borders between al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor, and frontlines in the eastern countryside of Hama, especially the surrounding areas of Athria, in addition to the eastern desert of Homs. During the past 48 hours, the number of Russian airstrikes on the Syrian desert have increased to about 180, which left casualties among ISIS members and material damage, as 13 ISIS members were killed, in addition to destruction of their vehicles.
-Reliable sources in south Syria region have informed SOHR that an initial agreement has been reached between the military security branch on one hand, and the Central Commission in Hawaran and some of the area’s dignitaries on the other. The new agreement stipulates for the evacuation of 30 wanted individuals and their families from Um Batna village in al-Quneitra countryside to north Syria in no more five days. This agreement comes a few hours after the arrival of regime military reinforcement in the vicinity of Um Batna village. A few hours earlier, SOHR sources reported that military reinforcement of dozens of troops from the Military Security Branch in Saasa, headed in the early hours of Saturday morning to the vicinity of Um Batna village, in the central countryside of al-Quneitra province near the occupied Syrian Golan. This military build-up came after the threats by the Military Security Branch in Saasa to storm the village of Um Batna if ten specific families refused to leave to north Syria.
Aleppo
-SOHR activists have reported that fires broke out in agricultural crops on the outskirts of the village of Um Hawash, in areas controlled by Kurdish forces in the north of Aleppo, after the crops were targeted by incendiary bullets by members of factions affiliated to the Turkish-backed National Army.
SDF-held areas
-SOHR activists in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor have reported that two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on the preacher and the muezzin of al-Rahman mosque in the town of al-Busayrah. This attack led to the injury of one of the attacked people and was taken to the hospital. The blame is pointed mainly at ISIS cells that are prevalent in SDF-held areas.
-SOHR activists have reported that Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have released 16 people out of 40, who had been arrested two days ago in the towns of al-Shuhayl and al-Riz in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, on charges of “belonging to ISIS”.
“Peace Spring” areas
-SOHR activists in the northern countryside of al-Raqqah have reported that Turkish forces and their proxy factions targeted with heavy weapons the SDF-held villages of Birkino and Birkitek in the western countryside of Tel Abyad city, north of al-Raqqah, but no casualties have been reported.
“De-escalation zone”
-SOHR activists in the “De-escalation zone” have reported an exchange of rocket fire between regime forces and rebel factions on the frontlines of al-Barah, Fulayfel, Sfuhen and Al-Fterah in Jabal Al-Zawiyah in the southern countryside of Idlib. Moreover, the opposition factions bombarded positions of regime forces in northern countryside of Latakia, after regime forces shelled the frontlines of Jabal al-Akrad in the same countryside, however, no casualties have been reported.
-SOHR activists have reported that a child sustained serious injuries due to the explosion of an unexploded cluster bomb in al-Najiyyah town in Jisr al-Shughour countryside in western Idlib.