Clashes in Syria’s Daraa leave causalities
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Clashes erupted on Sunday between two armed local groups in the city of Jassem in Daraa Governorate, southern Syria, left causalities.
A local source told North Press that the clashes erupted between two groups, one led by Wael al-Jalm, aka al-Ghabaini, and the other led by Abdullah Ismail al-Halqi, who was killed in the clashes in the city of Jassem, north of Daraa.
The source said al-Jalm’s group is accused of working with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly known al-Nusra Front), while al-Halq’s group does not follow any security or military entity after joining the reconciliation agreement with the Syrian government in the summer of 2018.
In July 2018, the opposition armed groups and the government forces reached a ceasefire agreement mediated by Russia in the opposition-held areas in Daraa. Under the deal, the opposition armed groups agreed to hand over their heavy weapons in exchange for staying in Daraa, and those opposed the agreement would go to Idlib, which is under the control of the HTS.
The source added that young man Majd Ghazi al-Ghazawi was killed by a stray bullet of clashes between the two sides, which involved light weapons and RPGs.
The western and southern neighborhoods of the city witnessed a displacement of residents towards relatively calm areas, the source noted.
Since the government forces re-captured Daraa in line with the 2018 agreement, the governorate has been living in a state of security chaos, with daily clashes that leave casualties.