Nearly 70 people killed since beginning of siege on Daraa al-Balad | Negotiations Committees in Daraa inform Russians of approving the demands
Daraa province: SOHR activists have reported that the Negotiating Committee in Daraa has informed the Russian side with its approval to all Russia’s previous demands which stated on:
• Withdrawal of military reinforcements from the city’s vicinity
• Strike settlement of wanted suspects and evacuating the refusing fighters
• Handing over of weapons
• Deployment of security checkpoints
• Regime forces inspections inside the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad
SOHR sources have monitored the preparations to deport hundreds of those refusing to strike reconciliation to the Syrian north during the next few hours. It is worth noting that the busses that were prepared during the past hours are still in Daraa province.
SOHR documented the increase of casualties since the beginning of the siege on Daraa al-Balad to 69 casualties which are:
• 23 civilians including 6 children and 4 women
• 26 regime forces members
• 20 local fighters
Earlier today, SOHR activists reported that three people including one local armed man were killed in Daraa al-Balad by regime forces shelling with highly explosive rockets. The shelling source came from the surroundings of Daraa al-Balad where regime forces were stationed.
With this violation, Syrian Observatory documented the death of three people in the first hours of the temporary ceasefire, due to the ground bombardment by the regime forces on the besieged neighborhoods of Daraa city.
On the other hand, SOHR activists reported a cautious calm this evening, in the vicinities of Daraa al-Balad, the camp and al-Sad road in Daraa province.
This calm was interrupted by indiscriminate shootings and tank fire in several positions in the area, coinciding with the ongoing temporary truce in Daraa.
SOHR sources confirmed that the new time limit ends tomorrow at 10:00 am, while the Russian part will encourage the military operation in case the local armed fighters do not accept the agreement with its full terms.
Earlier, SOHR sources in Daraa reported that the clashes and bombardment on Daraa al-Balad had been suspended, at Russian forces’ orders. The negotiating committee was notified that a ceasefire would be applied until tomorrow morning, and that the military operations on the region would resume if the Russian demands were not fulfilled, amid the participation of Russian forces of the incoming military operations.
It is worth noting that the military operations on Daraa al-Balad, including bombardment and attacks by ground forces of the 4th Division and regime-backed militias, were launched at Russian forces’ orders in order to exert pressure over the region’s people to bow to the Russian demands.
SOHR sources reported that the 4th Division unleashed a new attack under a cover of heavy fire with rockets and heavy machineguns, as fierce clashes were underway between the 4th Division and local gunmen on the frontlines of al-Kaziyah and al-Arba’in neighbourhood, amid reports of casualties. Meanwhile, the 4th Division and regime-backed militias continued their indiscriminate rocket fire on Daraa al-Balad neighborhoods.
On the other hand, it was expected that a meeting would be held in the following few hours attended by the dignitaries and notables of Daraa city in “al-Nour Hall” in al-Kashif neighborhood in Daraa city with the aim to reach settlement and a ceasefire evading bloodshed and evacuation of Daraa people.
A few hours earlier, SOHR sources reported that a meeting was underway between representatives of the Central Committee on one hand, and the regime’s security committee and Russian forces on the other in the municipal stadium in Daraa al-Mahattah. The meeting came as a part of a new round of negotiations to reach a decisive solution regarding the critical situation in Daraa al-Balad. It is worth noting that Russian and regime forces were adhering to several demands, including the handing over of all individual weapons, inspection in the houses of Daraa al-Balad, deployment of several posts and checkpoints, and evacuation of gunmen and civilians rejecting these demands to north Syria.
The meeting coincided with renewed rocket attacks by the 4th Division on the neighbourhoods of Daraa al-Balad.
SOHR sources reported earlier this morning the continuation of the military operation launched by regime-backed militias, headed by the 4th Division, on Daraa al-Balad in Daraa city. Intensive rocket fire hit Daraa al-Balad neighbourhood in the early hours of Sunday morning, along with an attempt by the 4th Division to advance into the region, before clashes erupted with the local gunmen and last for hours before the local gunmen managed to repel the attack.
According to SOHR sources, tense clam prevailed for a few hours, before the 4th Division started a new round of intensive rocket fire this morning, along with flights by scouting drones over the city.
This development came after the collapse of negotiations and the departure of the delegation of Hawaran tribes from Daraa al-Balad yesterday.
Last night, SOHR sources reported that the 4th Division and regime-backed militias started intensive attacks with rockets and heavy machineguns on Daraa al-Balad besieged neighbourhoods, shortly after the departure of a delegation of Hawaran tribes. The delegation of Hawaran tribes and the Central Committee had met with Russian officers with the aim to start a new round of negotiations.
A few hours earlier, SOHR activists reported that the Russians gave the Central Committee in Daraa and the tribe dignitaries a new time limit to obtain clarifications from the members who rejected to strike new reconciliations in Daraa al-Balad, while the duration of the time limit remained unknown.
This development came after a meeting between a delegation of dignitaries and elders of Daraa tribes on one hand, and the Security and Military Committees in Daraa on the other in presence of Russian officers.
SOHR activists had reported that regime forces and the 4th Division opened fire with heavy machineguns on the tribal delegation and the Central Committee in Hawaran in al-Bahar region near Daraa al-Balad, while the local gunmen evacuated the delegation members from the targeted area. However, no casualties were reported.
It is worth noting that the 4th Division which is close to Iran, wanted a military operation to be launched in Daraa al-Balad.
SOHR sources reported earlier the arrival of nearly 22 buses at al-Shara’ checkpoint at the entrance of Daraa city in order to take the individuals opposing striking new reconciliations to north Syria region. The Russian forces gave the Central Committee in Daraa al-Balad a time limit to start evacuating gunmen and civilians who refused to struck new reconciliation deals, and threatened to resume military operations if these individuals did not leave Daraa by the evening.