Daraa attacks in May | 47 people killed in over 50 attacks amid escalating violence and rampant security chaos
As violence and security chaos in Daraa province, south of Syria, has dramatically escalated and continued in an upward trend, the Syrian Observatory has documented 51 attacks in different places in Daraa province in May, which left 47 deaths, and they are:
• 15 civilians.
• 24 regime military personnel, members with settled-status and “collaborators” with security services.
• Two militiamen of the Russian-backed Fifth Division.
• An unidentified militiaman.
• A dissident regime soldier.
• Four drug dealers.
The Syrian Observatory has monitored and tracked the circumstances of the assassinations and attacks that have taken place in Daraa since early May. The details of these attacks are summarised as follows:
• May 1: A regime soldier was killed when an IED exploded in his car behind the finance building in Izra’ city in Daraa countryside.
• May 1: A regime soldier died of wounds he sustained in an earlier attack on Jassim-Nimr road in Daraa countryside.
• May 3: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Bedouin man, living in Al-Harak city for years, in the area between Al-Kark Al-Sharqi town and Al-Harak city in the eastern countryside of Daraa.
• May 4: A former faction member, who struck a “settlement” deal following the regime’s control of Daraa, was shot dead in Tafas city.
• May 5: Gunmen surrounded the house of a member of a local group of Intelligence Branch and clashed with him, killing him in Sayda town, east of Daraa.
• May 5: A regime soldier operating under the banner of the “15th Division” of regime’s army was shot dead by unknown persons on Nahj-Kharab Al-Shahm road west of Daraa.
• May 9: A civilian from Bayit Arah village in Yarmouk basin area in the western countryside of Daraa was shot dead by unidentified gunmen.
• May 9: Unidentified gunmen directly shot a taxi carrying a man and several women in Nahta town in the eastern countryside of Daraa, killing the civilian and injuring three women.
• May 10: Unidentified gunmen opened fire directly on a civilian from Jassim city in the northern countryside of Daraa province, seriously injuring him. The man later died of his injuries in hospital.
• May 11: A member of a local faction of regime-backed Fourth Division was killed by unidentified gunmen in the centre of Al-Yadoudah town, west of Daraa.
• May 15: A Fourth Division member was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Al-Abbasiyah neighbourhood in Daraa Al-Balad in Daraa city.
• May 15: A member of a local faction of the Military Security and his escort were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Tafas city in western Daraa countryside.
• May 17: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a regime conscript from Al-Quneitra countryside and lived in Al-Masifrah town, in Jassim city in eastern Daraa countryside.
• May 17: Two regime soldiers were directly shot by unidentified gunmen near Sayda-Kahil towns in the eastern countryside of Daraa.
• May 17: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a young man accused of “drug dealing” in a neighbourhood in Daraa Al-Balad.
• May 17: An assassination attempt was carried out against one of the most prominent former commanders of the factions during their control of Daraa, who had joined the rank of regime security services after regime took control of Daraa, when an IED exploded in Al-Manshiyah district in Daraa Al-Balad in Daraa city, leaving the commander’s escort dead and another man injured.
• May 17: An IED exploded in a car carrying a former member of the opposition factions, who had struck a “settlement” deal and become a collaborator with the Military Intelligence Branch, and his escort, leaving the ex-opposition fighter dead, and the young man injured in Daraa Al-Mahatah.
• May 18: The elder of Al-Na’imah town, the head of the municipal council and the secretary of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Al-Na’imah town.
• May 20: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a man, in Tafas city in the western countryside of Daraa. The dead man defected from regime forces years ago.
• May 20: An undergraduate was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Tel Shihab town in western Daraa countryside.
• May 20: A member of an armed group of military security service was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Al-Masifrah town in the western countryside of Daraa.
• May 21: A regime lieutenant from Al-Khalidiyah village in Hama countryside died of wounds he sustained in an IED attack that occurred in Nawa city in western Daraa countryside on May 14.
• May 21: Two gunmen attempted to plant an IED underneath the car of a Military Intelligence commander near Daraa city hall, but they were detected by the commander’s escorts and clashes erupted between them. This clash left a gunman dead.
• May 21: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a “Fourth Division” member near Jassim city in western Daraa countryside.
• May 21: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a young man in Al-Masifrah town in the eastern countryside of Daraa. The victim was a civilian and was not a member of any military faction.
• May 24: A young man was fatally shot in the head and body in front of his house in Al-Na’imah town in eastern Daraa countryside by two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle.
• May 24: Gunmen shot dead two civilians on the road between Nimr town and Jassim city, north of Daraa, where Air-force Intelligence and State Security military posts are located.
• May 25: Gunmen shot dead two militiamen of Russian-backed Fifth Corps in the vicinity of Kahil town in the eastern countryside of Daraa.
• May 26: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Fourth Division member on the outskirts of Khirab Al-Shahm town, west of Daraa.
• May 27: A young man was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Al-Harak town, east of Daraa.
• May 27: A regime officer was killed when an IED exploded in a regime military vehicle on Al-Sheikh Saad-Nawa road, west of Daraa.
• May 27: A regime lieutenant was directly shot by unknown assailants in Al-Sanamayn city in the northern countryside of Daraa.
• May 28: A drug dealer was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Dael town in the middle of Daraa countryside.
• May 28: Unidentified gunmen shot two civilians dead on the road between Al-Masifrah and Al-Sahwah towns, east of Daraa, while the gunmen fled after stealing a motorcycle and precious things in the civilian’s possession.
• May 28: Unidentified gunmen shot dead a civilian working at a restaurant in Tafas city, western Daraa countryside, before they escaped.
• May 29: A collaborator with regime “Military Intelligence Branch” was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in front of his house in Nawa city in the western Daraa countryside.
• May 30: Three ex-combatants of opposition factions, who struck “settlement” deals and joined regime’s security branches after the regime’s control of Daraa in 2018, were shot dead by unidentified persons on the road between Jassim and Nawa cities in western Daraa countryside.
• May 30: A lawyer was directly shot by unidentified gunmen in front of his house in the northern neighbourhood of Sayda town in eastern Daraa countryside.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has been all along warning against the repercussions of the rampant and crippling chronic crises and security chaos in regime-controlled areas, especially Daraa. We, at the Syrian Observatory, renew our appeal to protect the civilians and call upon all international actors not to abandon their responsibility and obligations towards the people of Syria and urge them to find a lasting solution to the tragedy of millions of Syrians and bring Al-Assad, his affiliates and all those responsible for violations and those who aided and abetted the killing of Syrian people to justice.
It is worth noting that since early 2022, the number of attacks in Daraa province has risen to 233, which left 191 people dead; and they are as follows:
• 93 civilians, including two women and four children.
• 77 regime military personnel, “collaborators” with security services and members with settled-status working for regime services and backed militias.
• Ten former fighters who did not join any military formation, after striking reconciliation deals.
• An ex-ISIS member.
• Seven unidentified people.
• Three militiamen of the Russian-backed 5th Division.