Hours before meeting between Central Committee and Russian delegation| Regime forces shell Daraa al-Balad, killing civilian
Local gunmen attack regime positions with the aim to break the siege on Daraa al-Balad
Daraa province: SOHR activists have documented the death of a civilian in regime attacks with heavy weapons on residential neighbourhoods in Daraa al-Balad.
Moreover, three civilians sustained various injuries due to regime mortar fire on Jasim city in the northern countryside of Daraa.
On the other hand, local gunmen attacked regime forces stationed at al-Souq checkpoint and the post office in al-Sanamayn city, leaving several soldiers injured. These attacks come as a response to the siege imposed on Daraa al-Balad.
Furthermore, regime forces and the 9th Division have shelled the western neighbourhood in al-Sanamayn city, but no casualties have been reported.
Similarly, regime forces shelled, with mortars and tanks, areas in the neighbourhoods of Daraa al-Balad, Daraa camp, Tariq al-Sadd and Jasim city, but no casualties have been reported.
These developments come a few hours before the meeting scheduled to be held today between Russian forces and the Central Committees in Daraa with the aim to put an end to the growing chaos in Daraa province.
Yesterday, SOHR activists reported cautious calm in Daraa province, along with a meeting between the Central Committee in Daraa with the Russians under the Russian proposal in preparation for another meeting tomorrow, Saturday, which was supposed to include a settlement that might bring the chaos in Daraa to an end.
On the other hand, forces of the 4th Division shelled the neighborhoods of Jasim city with a mortar in the northern countryside of Daraa. However, no casualties were reported.
Earlier in the morning, SOHR activists reported a meeting between the Central Committee in Daraa and a Russian delegation in Daraa city centre. This meeting came after days of suspension of negotiations between the Security Committee and the Central Committee in Hawaran, under Russian supervision.
On the other hand, several residents protested the arrest of a member of the 8th Brigade of the 5th Corps from Um al-Mayathen town in eastern Daraa. The demonstrators have blocked the international highway between Daraa and Damascus. It is worth noting that the man was arrested by the regime’s military security service in Daraa city.
On Thursday, Observatory activists reported clashes with heavy machineguns between local gunmen from Daraa al-Balad and the 4th Division, along with bombardment by regime forces with heavy artillery and tanks on the residential neighbourhoods in Daraa city.
This development came in light of the siege imposed by regime forces and the 4th Division on the neighbourhoods of Daraa city for the 50th consecutive day. While several humanitarian convoys entered the besieged neighbourhoods during this period.
Earlier in the morning, SOHR activists reported five attacks on regime military positions in Daraa countryside in a few hours. However, no casualties were reported so far. The attacks could be summarised as follows:
- Unknown gunmen opened machinegun fire on regime checkpoint on the road between Nawa and Tasil in the western countryside of Daraa.
- Unknown gunmen attacked, with machineguns and RPGs, a checkpoint of the Air-Force Intelligence service on the road between Da’el and Abtaa.
- An attack on the security zone in Nawa city in the western countryside of Daraa.
- Local gunmen opened machinegun fire on checkpoint of the military security service in al-Masiritiyah town in Yarmouk Basin in the western countryside of Daraa.
- Local gunmen from the northern countryside of Daraa attacked, with machineguns and RPGs, the state security service’s headquarters in the cultural centre in Jasim city.
A day earlier, Observatory sources reported that a motorcade of eight cars of the Russian military police arrived in Daraa al-Mahatah from Damascus. The motorcade arrival coincided with complete closure of al-Saraya checkpoint that separates Daraa al-Balad from Daraa al-Mahatah. Meanwhile, regime forces removed the soil barriers and blocked the road before the displaced people in light of the escalating humanitarian crisis in Daraa and the acute shortage of food, water and bread supplies.
For nearly 50 days, the Syrian regime and the 4th Division continued to impose full or partial siege on Daraa neighbourhoods, draining the local gunmen and depleting the population provisions under pretext of “negotiation stalemate between the Central Committee of Hawran and the regime forces”.
Despite the de-escalation agreements, regime forces and the 4th Division continued their attacks and bombardment with heavy and medium weapons in Daraa al-Balad, its surrounding areas and villages.