9 were killed and others wounded in the city of Daraa and its countryside in southern Syria;
As a result of intense bombardment by the regime forces on the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad and the town of al-Yadouda, in the first escalation since 2018, which began after the regime attempted to storm Daraa al-Balad after the opposition refused to grant Damascus full control over it.
Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that at least 3 civilians were killed, and others were wounded in intense shelling by the regime forces on the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad.
This came during an attempt by the regime forces to storm the area from 3 axes, and fighters from the residents confronted it.
Al-Jazeera Net correspondent in Syria said that the regime forces launched - since Thursday morning - an attack on the neighborhoods of Daraa Al-Balad and two related neighborhoods, namely the Al-Sad Road and the Al-Mukamat neighborhood.
Three days ago, the Daraa Al-Balad Reconciliation Committee and the regime forces reached an agreement to partially withdraw the light weapons remaining in the hands of the opposition, and a partial presence of the regime forces.
Notables refuse
On Tuesday, the notables of Daraa al-Balad refused - in a statement - the regime forces to enter the area and demanded the exit of opposition elements from it, if the regime insisted on their entry, which the regime rejected, and it launched an attack this morning.
The military campaign on Daraa al-Balad led to fighters from the people of Daraa attacking a number of regime forces’ checkpoints in the western and eastern countryside of the governorate. The fighters took control of a number of them, and were able to kill and capture a number of regime forces’ members, and to seize ammunition and medium and light weapons.
The regime forces resorted to expanding their bombardment to include populated areas in several cities and towns, including the city of Tafas and the towns of Al-Yadouda and Al-Muzayrib. Local sources told Al-Jazeera that the regime's bombing killed 6 people, including 3 children and a woman.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that a member of the regime forces and its affiliated militias were killed and more than 25 captured in clashes with the opposition in the city of Daraa and its eastern and western countryside.
reject the election
These developments come after the people of Daraa al-Balad boycotted the presidential elections, which were held at the end of last May, and the demonstrations that rejected them, which prompted the regime forces to besiege the area and try to subjugate it by force and impose the erection of military and security barriers in violation of the settlement agreement concluded 3 years ago between the opposition Syria and Russia.
#Daraa: The
escape of elements and militias at the Taybeh checkpoint, east of Daraa, which is affiliated with the Military Security, after the town's youths were mobilized.
pic.twitter.com/wqmI50eWXK
- Firas Karam - journalist (@feraskaram01) July 29, 2021
Abu Ali al-Mahamid - one of the notables of Daraa - told Al-Jazeera Net correspondent that the regime's attack on the area constitutes a punishment for Damascus for the people of Daraa who rejected the presidential elections, and Abu Ali added that the regime violated the agreement between it and the people of Daraa al-Balad, by launching an attack with large forces on the neighborhoods of the area Which is rejected by the population, according to Mahamid.
Local sources told Al-Jazeera that the opposition gunmen cut off the Damascus-Amman international road, 10 kilometers from the Nassib border crossing between Jordan and Syria, which is the main crossing between the two countries.
It is noteworthy that the regime forces and militias loyal to them imposed - on 25 June last - a siege on Daraa al-Balad, which is inhabited by 40,000 people, after the opposition refused to hand over light weapons, as it violated the agreement brokered by Russia in 2018, which stipulated the handing over of heavy weapons. And only average.