Timeline | Recent developments across Syria
June 5, 2021
Regime-controlled areas
-SOHR activists have documented the death of a young man from al-Safsaf village of al-Tabaqah city in al-Raqqah countryside under torture in a regime prison. The victim was arrested six years ago at Aleppo University where he was studying there.
-SOHR sources have reported that an old landmine planted earlier by ISIS exploded in a group of regime soldiers, during combing operations in Wadi Abyad in al-Sukhnah desert in the east of Homs. The explosion killed three regime soldiers and injured two others. Meanwhile, regime forces continue combing operations in the Syrian desert on a daily basis, searching for ISIS members. It is worth noting that ISIS members plant mines and change their positions throughout the desert.
-Al-Quneitra province: Reliable sources in south Syria region have told SOHR that regime security services have offered new reconciliations with wanted individuals who passed their date of joining the mandatory service to regime’s security branches. These people had been fighters in opposition faction and struck reconciliation deals in mid 2018, after regime forces and their militias regained the entire province of al-Quneitra. It is worth noting that 150 people were evacuated from Um Batna town in the middle countryside of al-Quneitra to north Syria region in May 2021, after tension in the town.
According to SOHR sources, the new reconciliations cover military deserters and individuals wanted for criminal cases, as the security situation of these individuals will be settled via a central commission which has been formed of several security branch. Accordingly, the individuals who struck new reconciliations will get card enables them to travel in the province freely.
-SOHR activists have documented the death of 23 regime soldiers in different areas of the Syrian desert in the past 48 hours in ambushes and explosions of landmines planted by ISIS cells which are prevalent in east Homs desert and the deserts of Hama, al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor. The regime’s fatalities included an officer of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and his escort who was Iranian, as unknown gunmen opened fire on them while they were traveling on the road between Palmyra and Deir Ezzor in central Syria.
These attacks were carried out, although Russian fighter jets executed nearly 24 airstrikes on the Syrian desert in the past 48 hours, as well as the daily combing operations by regime forces and loyal militias.
-SOHR activists have documented the death of 23 regime soldiers in different areas of the Syrian desert in the past 48 hours in ambushes and explosions of landmines planted by ISIS cells which are prevalent in east Homs desert and the deserts of Hama, al-Raqqah and Deir Ezzor. The regime’s fatalities included an officer of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and his escort who was Iranian, as unknown gunmen opened fire on them while they were traveling on the road between Palmyra and Deir Ezzor in central Syria.
These attacks were carried out, although Russian fighter jets executed nearly 24 airstrikes on the Syrian desert in the past 48 hours, as well as the daily combing operations by regime forces and loyal militias.
-Syrian Observatory activists have reported that unknown gunmen shot dead two civilians working in car trade business, while they were near al-Jabaliya village in the western countryside of Daraa city.
Aleppo
-SOHR activists have documented the death of a regime officer from al-Qardaha city, the hometown of the Syrian regime president “Bashar al-Assad”, in Turkish artillery fire on Mayyasah village of Shirawa district in Afrin countryside in north-western Aleppo, where Kurdish and regime forces are deployed.
-SOHR sources reported earlier today artillery fire by Turkish forces in the early hours of Saturday morning, which targeted the Kurdish-held village of Kaloutah in Shirawa district in Afrin countryside. The Turkish artillery fire killed a little girl and injured her brother and father.
SDF-held areas
-SOHR sources have reported that the Department of Foreign Relations of the Autonomous Administration in northern and eastern Syria handed over, this morning, a Dutch woman, her two children and another orphan child of ISIS families who were held in al-Hawl camp, to representatives of the Dutch government, in presence of the Netherlands Special Envoy for Syria. The hand over of the woman and children took place under an official return document signed by the Dutch delegation at the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Relations in al-Qamishli city.
-SOHR activists say that an IED exploded in a bus carrying members of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish), while it was passing near the square of al-Hesan town in the western countryside if Deir Ezzor. The explosion injured four Asayish members.
-Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activists have reported that SDF released, today, 65 civilians arrested by the security and military forces of SDF during the latest demonstrations in Manbij city and its countryside in eastern Aleppo.
-Joint presidency of the Defence Office in north and east Syria has issued a circular to postpone the mandatory military service for all young males, who reached the age of conscription, from areas under the control of Turkey troops and their proxy factions, including the cities of Afrin in the countryside of Aleppo, Ras al-Ain (Sere Kaniye) in al-Hasakah, and areas in Tal Abyad in north of Raqqa.
This decree will take effect tomorrow, June 6, until the end of the year 2021.This decree comes for the general interest requirements and positive functioning, according to the Joint presidency of Defence Bureau.
-Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activists have monitored clashes with machine guns between SDF military police and regime soldiers due to an attack by the regime soldiers on Abo Sarra checkpoint in the west of Ain Eisa in the northern countryside of Raqqa where SDF military police members are stationed.
These clashes came after SDF military police members assaulted one regime officer, while security tensions rose in the region , amid reports of ongoing negotiations between the two sides sponsored by Russian military police.
“Peace Spring Zone”
-Al-Hasakah province: After the death of a civilian by the Turkish-backed faction of Ahrar al-Sharqiyyah in Tel Diab village in Ras al-Ain countryside (Sere Kaniye) on June 2, SOHR sources have reported a meeting between the dignitaries of the tribe of the killed civilian, Harb tribe, and dignitaries of the killer’s tribe, al-Ekaydat tribe, after mediation by dignitaries of Harb and Adawan tribes.
A luncheon was held in the murdered civilian’s funeral reception tent in an attempt by the elders of Harb and Adawan tribes to defuse the tension between the two tribes with the aim to prevent any probable retaliations. The incident has been explained as a manslaughter. This reconciliation comes at light of Ahrar al-Sham’s fears of attacks in its headquarters in “Peace Spring” areas in northern al-Hasakah by members of Harb tribe.
The tribes has issued a statement, of which the Syrian Observatory received a copy, which included the following:
“Thanks to Allah, and after mediation and great efforts by dignitaries and the elder of Harb tribe in Ras al-Ain, Ahmed Abid al-Khalil, and Adawan tribe’s elder, NasserSab’ al-Rashou, and after tracking the investigation on the circumstances of the incident which resulted in the death of a man form Harb tribe in Tel Thyab village, it was found that the incident was just manslaughter. A man of Harb tribe was hit with a gunshot fired by mistake by a man of al-Ekaydat tribe, and there was no deliberate intention to kill this man. There are strong ties connecting the two tribes for long time.”
“De-escalation zone”
-SOHR sources have reported rocket fire by regime forces on Arnabeh village in the southern countryside of Idlib, which injured a little girl and a man. Moreover, regime forces shelled the villages and towns of Sarjeh, Maarbalit and al-Fterah in the southern countryside of Idlib.