Yarmouk Basin witnesses the return of the violent fighting between Jaysh Khaled Ibn Al-Waleed and the rebel and Islamic factions

Daraa Province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the areas of Yarmouk Basin in the western countryside of Daraa are witnessing violent shelling by the Islamic and rebel factions, which is targeting the controlled areas of Jaysh Khaled Ibn Al-Waleed which pays allegiance to the “Islamic State” Organization, in the outskirts of Saham al-Golan town and Ishtra area, amid violent clashes which renewed between the both parties in areas in the vicinity of Al-Hajez Al-Roba’y near Tel Ishtra, in conjunction with targeting to the clash areas between the both parties, which resulted in the death of a fighter of the factions and the injury of others, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that calm has been prevailing the area of the Yarmouk basin in the western countryside of Daraa since the evening of yesterday Monday, the 28th of August, 2017, following violent clashes taking place in the area between ISIS-affiliate Jaysh Khalid Ibn al-Waleed against fighters of the Islamic and repel factions. This calm is interrupted every now and then by sounds of fire shooting exchanged between both parties on the contact lines between them, in conjunction with shelling on areas in Sahm al-Joulan town in the western countryside of Daraa, amid ambiguity concerning the rapid decline of pace of clashes between both parties, despite the launch of the battle aimed at ending the presence of the organization in the area.

The SOHR published yesterday, on Monday, that the 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”.