The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Syrian south truce enters its 7th day, violations decrease in the provinces of Daraa, Al-Suwaidaa and Quneitra

The Syrian south truce which began on the 9th of July 2017 has completed its 6th consecutive day in the provinces of Al-Suwaidaa, Quneitra and Daraa, with continued decline in the frequency of violations in these 3 provinces, in which the truce was applied by an American – Russian – Jordanian agreement, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented on the 6th day the regime forces targeting al-Tlul al-Homr area and the surrounding of Hodr town in the northern sector of Quneitra with heavy machineguns and mortar shells, but no information about casualties, the regime forces also targeted with 2 shells places in al-Hrak area east of Daraa, in addition to shelling by the regime forces for area in Daraa al-Balad using an explosive cylinder.

Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that the agreement also provides for an item which is deploying Russian military police forces in the cease-fire areas in the three provinces of the agreement, to oversee the cease-fire and carry out the truce, while the factions operating in the Desert of al-Suwaidaa which is interconnected with the southeast of Rif Dimashq reported that they have not been informed by any party regional or international about a cease-fire in the Syrian south, also the SOHR obtained information from reliable sources that the agreement provides for the withdrawal of the regime forces and their allied militiamen and the rebel and Islamic factions from contact lines in all areas, the deployment of the regime’s internal security forces in these lines whereas the rebel and Islamic factions participating in the agreement will be assigned the task of protecting all public and private establishments. In addition, it also stipulates the departure of all those unwilling to participate in the agreement, the full withdrawal of the regime’s allied militiamen – of non-Syrian nationalities, preparation of the infrastructure necessary for the return of refugees from Jordan successively, holding municipal elections and granting municipalities broad powers, and finally the delivery of humanitarian aid to the areas that abide by the ceasefire.  The SOHR published on the 17th of June 2017 that a Russian-American-Jordanian truce was put into effect in Daraa Province and was extended till the 20th of June but came to an end as a result of the renewed aerial and artillery shelling by the regime forces and their allied militiamen, helicopters and warplanes.