Despite the southern Syria truce … Daraa factions launch a violent attack on Jaysh Khalid Ibn Al-Walid at the border with the occupied Syrian Golan

Daraa Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the SOHR learned that violent battles broke out since dawn today, Monday the 28th of August 2017, as a result of a violent attack by the rebel and Islamic factions on areas controlled by ISIS-affiliate Jaysh Khalid Ibn Al-Walid in Yarmouk Basin area, located in the western countryside of Daraa, which is adjacent to the occupied Syrian Golan. Cross sources confirmed to the SOHR that the factions are seeking, through such an attack which they call the “Greatest Islamic Conquest”, to advance, take a step ahead of Jaysh Khalid Ibn Al-Walid and thus minimize its scope of control in the western countryside of Daraa until they eventually put an end to their presence there.

Reliable sources asserted to the SOHR that clashes concentrated in the Libyan Company/ Al-Sherka Al-Libiyah front, ‘Ashtara and in the vicinity of Jeleen. Clashes were accompanied by intensive shelling by the factions on areas controlled by Jaysh Khalid Ibn Al-Walid. The attacking factions had brought huge military reinforcements for this battle. This coincides with the calm prevailing the western countryside of Daraa since the 9th of July 2017, the date in which the Russian-American-Jordanian truce came into effect, imposing cessation of hostilities and ceasefire in the Provinces of Daraa, Al-Suwaidaa and Al-Quneitra in the southern Syria.

The rebel and Islamic factions had initiated a battle in the first half of April 2017 and called it “Nazea al-Khanajer/Pulling out the Daggers”, in order to regain control over the areas they had lost in the weeks that preceded the battle, take a step ahead of Jaysh Khalid Ibn Al-Walid and minimize its scope of control in the western countryside of Daraa, following its attack on the area on the 20th of February 2017. By means of such an attack, Jaysh Khalid Ibn Al-Walid managed to take control of several areas, leaving tens of fighters of the factions and Jaysh Khal id Ibn al-Walid killed and tens of civilians injured as a result of the exchange of shelling between both parties. It should be noted that Jaysh Khalid Ibn Al-Walid was announced in May 2016. The SOHR published then a copy of its formation statement. Cross-sources informed the SOHR activists in the western countryside of Daraa that it is a merger of factions operating in Yarmouk Basin. It was mainly formed of Shuhada’a al-Yarmouk Brigade, which swore allegiance to the “Islamic State” organization, along with the Islamic Muthanna Movement. The statement read as follows: “Restructuring the groups operating with Yarmouk Basin under the name of “Jaysh Khalid Ibn Al-Walid”; changing the name of Base 105 to Al-Andalus and canceling Base 106 for good; limiting the responsibilities of the Internal Security Forces (Al-Andalus) to addressing the attempts of treachery and betrayal by the apostates, and their work shall be done through the Islamic court”.  The statement also stipulated that: “Every brother may call his brother by the name of his group for indicating their affiliation but not with the intention to insult. If so, they shall be punished by receiving 500 lashes”.