Regime-controlled areas in September 2022 | 133 fatalities in acts of violence…ongoing protests by Jabal Al-Arab people…growing public discontent over dreadful living conditions

Regime-controlled areas experienced scores of dramatic developments in September 2022, including an alarming escalation of violence, worsening living conditions, tightening security grip and ongoing arbitrary arrests.

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked all key developments in regime-controlled areas in the past month, which can be summarised in the following main points:

 

 

Acts of violence leave many casualties

 

In September 2022, regime-controlled areas saw an alarming escalation of acts of violence that left many casualties, where SOHR documented the death of 133 people across areas controlled by the Syrian regime and affiliated militias; the deaths are as follows:

 

Civilian fatalities

 

69 civilians, including 13 children and 13 women. Here are further details of the circumstances of these deaths:

 

• 22 civilians, including three children and six women, were murdered

 

• 18 civilians, including a little girl, were killed in incidents of security disorder in Daraa province.

 

 

• 11 civilians, including six children, were killed by explosions of old ordnance.

 

• 11 civilians, including seven women and three children, were killed in the collapse of a war-damaged residential building.

 

• Seven men died under torture in regime prisons.

 

 

Non-civilian fatalities

 

-36 military personnel and collaborators with regime security services: they are as follows:

 

• 11 were killed in incidents of security disorder in Daraa province.

 

• Ten were killed by ISIS.

 

• Five were killed in Israeli strikes.

 

• Three regime soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash.

 

• Four were killed in explosions.

 

• Three were shot dead by unknown gunmen.

 

-Ten Iranian-backed Syrian and non-Syrian militiamen were killed in attacks by ISIS and gunfire by unknown gunmen.

 

-Five Iranian-backed non-Syrian militiamen were killed in Israeli strikes.

 

-Three gunmen were killed in family and tribal infightings.

 

-Three former fighters of opposition factions were killed in incidents of security disorder in Daraa province.

 

-Two ex-ISIS members were killed in incidents of security disorder in Daraa province.

 

-Five ISIS members were killed in Russian airstrikes.

 

 

Kidnappings and arbitrary arrests

 

As regime security and intelligence services continue their repression, SOHR activists documented, in September, the arrest of 23 civilians, including two women, as well as only one kidnapping case. Here are further details of the arrests and kidnappings documented in September:

 

• Members of the 4^th Division arrested a woman for unknown reasons at the checkpoint of “Panorama” at the southern entrance of Deir Ezzor city, while she was heading to Damascus.

 

• Members of the military intelligence service stationed at a checkpoint in Al-Sanamayn city arrested two civilians from Jasim city in the northern countryside of Daraa.

 

• Members of the air-force and military intelligence services arrested five people in Al-Malikiyah neighbourhood and the perimeter of Aleppo international airport.

 

• Regime forces arrested two young men in an area between Ankhil and Nawa cities in the western countryside of Daraa.

 

• Members of the political security service arrested a man in the northern countryside of Daraa.

 

• Regime forces arrested a man on the road to Aqraba in northern Daraa.

 

• Regime forces arrested five people in Hatla town in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor.

 

• Regime forces arrested two civilians in the capital, Damascus.

 

• Regime forces arrested a woman and two young men in Aleppo city.

 

• Regime forces arrested a young man from Jasim city in Daraa countryside.

 

• Unknown gunmen arrested a man in Al-Suwaidaa countryside, before killing him.

 

 

People of Jabal Al-Arab continue their protests

 

On September 16, SOHR sources reported that unknown individuals left graffiti and stickers on walls in Al-Suwaidaa city, threatening to punish officials of the “water institution” in the city and giving them a time limit of ten days to reactivate wells and pump water back to the entire province.

 

One of the stickers left on a wall in Al-Suwaidaa city read, “to the corrupt officials in drinking water institution, you are partners of the systematic reprehensible plan to cut off water feeding the province, deactivate wells producing drinking water and water needed for irrigating farmlands and deprive people from their livelihood. We warn you to reactivate all wells in no more ten days and pump water back to the entire province. We know the identities of all corrupt officials among you. This is the last warning. Forewarned is forearmed.”

 

According to SOHR sources, other pieces of graffiti were left on the walls, some of which read, “no to displacement of the Druze,” “your game has been disclosed” and “this is the first warning.”

 

While on September 19, Al-Suwaidaa province witnessed angry protests staged by dozens of civilians who protested the poor living conditions and services. The protestors blocked the ring road and Damascus-Al-Suwaidaa highway near Hazm village, north of Al-Suwiadaa province.

 

According to SOHR activists, the protestors gave a deadline to the governor of Al-Suwaidaa and Syrian regime government to fulfil their demands which were manifested in securing essential needs, such as diesel, petrol, and gas, and resuming pumping water to civilian homes in days, threatening to escalate protests, if their demands were not fulfilled.

 

Also, on September 29, SOHR activists reported seeing regime forces on high alert in Al-Suwaida, near the Cultural Centre, following the arrival of a security delegation from the capital, Damascus, headed by Hossam Luqa, the Director of the General Intelligence Department and Minister of Interior, to meet with representatives of local factions, Al-Aqel Sheikhs of the Druze community and several social and religious leaders from Al-Suwaidaa to discuss security developments in Al-Suwaidaa province.

 

According to Observatory sources, the meeting has tackled ways to improve the security situation and living and economic conditions and to find solutions to the issue of security disorder, proliferation of arms and stolen cars.

 

The Syrian regime delegation called for the opening of a new “reconciliation centre,” so that the residents and suspects can have their security status settled, while young people liable for mandatory conscription are driven to regime army.

 

 

Violations and infightings affect civilians in Homs

 

In early September, the security forces of the 4^th Division placed prefabricated checkpoints in Homs countryside to collect levies from civilians. According to SOHR sources, the 4^th Division security forces placed a prefabricated checkpoint at the entrance of the livestock market in Al-Sa’an city, and placed another checkpoint in Al-Mallah area in Al-Furqalas.

 

Observatory activists confirmed that armed members stationed at these prefabricated checkpoints imposed levies on every car carrying livestock or fodder entering those two markets.

 

In this context, a 4th division first assistant of the security forces of the 4^th Division, which is an auxiliary force to regime forces, forced a merchant to pay 50,000 SYP as a tax in return for allowing him to enter the livestock market in Al-Sa’an area. Moreover, a regime officer informed the traders that they had to pay market entry tax in regime-held areas.

 

In this context, the regime forces issued a circular in Homs countryside according to which more prefabricated checkpoints whould be established in order to impose levies on merchants.

 

Also, on September 7, SOHR sources reported that the dispute between the 4^th Division security checkpoints and the military intelligence service which is responsible for the crossing of trucks carrying smuggling goods from Lebanon into Homs province, via unofficial crossings, led to the lack of dozens of food commodities and the hike of their prices to an unprecedented level.

 

Residents and traders in Homs province relied on foodstuffs smuggled from Lebanon, especially cooking oil, nappies, pasta, and other essential products, before their prices reached this level because of the suspension of smuggling operations.

 

The security tension between the 4^th Division and the military intelligence service also prompted significant increase in fuel prices, especially with the suspension of delivering petrol and household gas from Lebanon to Syria, which Syrians in Homs province had relied on to mitigate the shortage of oil products and gas in regime-controlled areas.

 

 

Infightings in Iranians’ stronghold and regime officers deliberately blow up weapons warehouses in Homs

 

In mid-September, clashes erupted between Iranian-backed Syrian militiamen and members of a joint patrol of the National Defence Forces and military security service, after the Iranian-backed backed militiamen threw a grenade on the patrol’s members.

 

While on September 28, clashes erupted between a group of the 4^th Division and a group of the military police in Al-Qusour neighbourhood in Deir Ezzor city following the arrest of a member of the 4^th Division by the military police.

 

Observatory sources disclosed new details about the violent explosions that rocked the eastern countryside of Homs on September 20. SOHR sources reported that the explosions were caused by the explosions of two weapons and ammunition depots affiliated to Iranian-backed militias and guarded by regime forces. SOHR sources confirmed that the two depots were deliberately blown up by regime officers.

 

According to SOHR sources, regime officers recently stole the entire contents of one of those warehouses, including weapons and ammunition, and a part of the other depot’s contents.

 

On Thursday, September 20, Iranian-backed militias informed the regime officers that they wanted to transport weapons and ammunition from the two weapons depots. Accordingly, the thieves blow up the to depots to cover up the robbery.

 

 

Distribution of very worn books at high prices ignites public anger

 

With the beginning of the new school season 2022-2023, regime-controlled areas have experienced broad public anger, because schools have provided poor quality and very worn books, as well as the prohibitively high prices compared to the last season.

 

In this context, SOHR sources have reported that the Syrian regime’s “Public Printing and Textbooks Corporation” has issued a decision raising the prices of school books at high and vocational schools. Accordingly, the new book prices exceed 50% of the monthly income of most of the employees and civilians in regime-controlled areas.

 

SOHR sources have also confirmed that this decision, as well as decisions issued by regime authorities, further burden civilians with poor income, especially with the current dreadful living conditions, extreme poverty and rampant unemployment.

 

According to Observatory sources, the prices of school books for each student in the primary stage are distributed as follows:

 

• Grade 1: Nearly 24,800 SYP.

 

• Grade 2: Nearly 25,300 SYP.

 

• Grade 3: 26,200 SYP.

 

• Grade 4: 21,400 SYP.

 

• Grade 5: 28,500 SYP.

 

• Grade 6: 41,800 SYP.

 

SOHR sources confirm that the expenses of stationeries, school bags, uniform and other supplies which a student need in only one season may reach 500,000 SYP; this level of expenses is unaffordable by most of the Syrian civilians who are almost able to secure their and their families’ daily needs.

 

Moreover, many students and parents are struggling when they deal with these very worn books which have been stored carelessly in warehouses for years; this, in turn, has spurred many families to buy new books at bookstores. Meanwhile, a broad state of public anger is growing, as parents see that the authorities which set such prices are not aware of the dreadful living conditions of most of the Syrian civilians.

 

Speaking to SOHR, a woman says that she has no more than 8,600 SYP, and that this sum of money is enough for buying only one book for her son who has no new books, expressing her discontent of the worn books provided at schools at such high prices.

 

It is worth noting that the education sector in regime-controlled areas is deteriorating greatly because of the old curriculum, school high fees and the growing rate of dropouts in light of the extreme poverty, worsening security situation and the ongoing freefall of the Syrian currency.

 

 

Ongoing Israeli attacks

 

As Israel continues to violate Syria’s sovereignty, SOHR documented two Israeli attacks that left heavy human and material losses. Here are further details of these attacks:

 

• September 6: Three Iranian-backed non-Syrian militiamen were killed and five others were wounded by Israeli strikes on on warhouses of Iranian-backed militias nearby Al-Malikiyah neighbourhood, near Aleppo international airport. The strikes destroyed the warehouses and caused large blazes. Also, at least two missiles hit the runway of Aleppo international airport, causing considerable damage and putting the airport out of service.

 

• September 17: Seven people: five members of the regime’s air-defence forces and two Iranian-backed non-Syrian militiamen, were killed in an Israeli attack which hit positions in Mazare’ Al-Ghasolah near Damascus international airport, the vicinity of Al-Sayda Zainab area and Al-Keswa area in Rif Dimashq, where Iranian-backed militias are stationed.

 

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has been all along warning against the repercussions of the crippling chronic crises and security chaos in regime-controlled areas and elsewhere in Syria, with only the Syrian regime to blame for the disastrous situation Syria is in right now. We, at the Syrian Observatory, 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.