Timeline | Recent developments across Syria
June 18, 2021
Regime-controlled areas
-SOHR activists have reported hearing sporadic gunfire in the security zone in Nawa city in the western countryside of Daraa, caused by an attack by unknown gunmen on regime forces in the city’s headquarters and the branches of criminal and political security services in the city. However, no further details have been reported yet about the number of casualties and material damage caused by the attack.
Separately, unknown gunmen threw a grenade on the house of the commander of a military group affiliated to the Russian-backed 5th Corps in Sayda city in eastern Daraa, but no casualties have been reported.
-SOHR activists have documented the death of two Iranian-backed militiamen and the injury of eight others in an attack by ISIS on their post in Juwaif area in al-Mayadeen desert in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. Meanwhile Russian fighter jets executed nearly 15 airstrikes since morning, targeting ISIS positions in al-Rasafah desert in al-Raqqah
-SOHR sources in the northern countryside of Homs have reported that unknown individuals have torn a poster of the Syrian regime’s president, Bashar al-Assad, placed at the entrance of Talbiseh city after midnight.
-SOHR activists have documented the death of a former opposition commander in “Majd al-Islam” faction, which had operated in Daraa province, succumbing to his wounds sustained in gunfire by unknown gunmen in Daraa al-Balad three days ago.
-SOHR activists have reported a hit-and-run attack by ISIS on positions of regime forces and their proxy militias in Marija al-Jamalan district in eastern countryside of Hama, which resulted in the injury of several regime soldiers, one seriously.
-SOHR activists have documented the explosion of an IED on al-Jibaylia road near the occupied Syrian Golan in the countryside of al-Quneitra, which injured some regime soldiers. According to SOHR sources, a Russian military vehicle transported the injured soldiers to nearby hospitals. Local sources have also told SOHR that regime forces were conducting security patrols with the aim of guarding and securing the roads before the cars of regime officers and some leaders of Lebanese Hezbollah passing by the region.
-SOHR activists have reported that residents of Taseel town in the western countryside of Daraa found a civilian’s body with gunshot wounds in the head dumped at the suburbs of the town. According to SOHR sources, the victim was a former member of opposition factions operating in Daraa province, before he struck a reconciliation deal in 2018 and cooperated with the Syrian regime.
Aleppo
-SOHR activists say that the Turkish intelligence service and patrols of military police have stormed several currency exchange shops on Raju road in Afrin city in north-western Aleppo, arresting the owner of one of the currency exchange shops and his son, after confiscating all mobile phones and PCs in the shop and unfixing security cameras. It is worth noting that the arrested man is from Khalil village of Sheikh Hadid district in rural Afrin.
SDF held areas
-SOHR sources have reported an armed fight between two families in al-Keshkiyyah town in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. However, the reason behind this fight remained unknown.
De-Escalation zone
–Syrian Observatory activists have reported that al-Fath al-Mubin factions targeted military positions in several villages in Jurin surrounding district in the north-western countryside of Hama, as the rockets hit the frontline of both villages of Foro and al-Bahsa where regime forces and their proxies have been stationed. Meanwhile, regime forces bombarded al-Ziyara village which caused material damage. In a related context, several artillery shells hit several positions in Jabal al-Turkman and al-Tofahiya frontline in Jabal al-Akrad in northern countryside of Latakia.
-SOHR sources have reported rocket attacks by regime forces on different areas across the “de-escalation”, as over 100 rockets have hit positions in al-Ankawi in Sahl al-ghab in Hama countryside, positions in Jabal al-Zawiyah in southern Idlib and areas in the western countryside of Aleppo. However, no casualties have been reported.
-Syrian Observatory activists have documented the injury of six civilians, including a woman and two children, due to the regime rocket attacks on Bazabour village in the south of Ariha city in the southern countryside of Idlib.