More than 20 fighters were killed in the first hours of the battle of ending the presence of Jaysh Khalid Ibn al-Walid in Yarmouk Basin

Daraa province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights:: the fighting is still ongoing violently between the rebel and Islamic factions against Jaysh Khalid Ibn al-Walid, which pays allegiance to ISIS, in areas in Yarmouk Basin in the western countryside of Daraa, and the SOHR learned that the clashes concentrated in the vicinity of Jilin and the Libya Company, Ishtra, and MD Brigade, amid heavy shelling by the factions on areas controlled by Jaysh Khalid Ibn al-Walid, which targeted the factions-held areas. The factions started their offensive on the 28th of August 2017, under the heading of “Fateh al-Futouh” Battle, which aims to end the presence of the Jaysh which pledges allegiance to ISIS, in the western countryside of Daraa, which is adjacent to the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and the clashes, targeting and shelling caused human losses in the ranks of both parties. Reliable sources asserted to the SOHR that at least 13 fighters of the factions were killed and others were injured with different severity in the shelling and clashes in the western countryside of Daraa, and at least 8 fighters of Jaysh Khaled Ibn al-Waleed were killed and others injured, and the Islamic and rebel factions shelled the areas of Ashtara, Jilin, Saham al-Joulan in the western countryside of Daraa, and there is no information about casualties.

SOHR published today that 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”.