DARAA, Syria (North Press) – The two settlement processes conducted in Syria’s southern governorate of Daraa failed to limit the assassination attempts. New killings were reported carried out by anonymous people during the second settlement process the Syrian government carried out last month.
The Daraa Martyrs’ Documentation Office, a local civilian organization, documented 1,084 assassination attempts in which 685 people were killed between the 1st process in the summer 2018 and the 2nd process last September.
Killings included former fighters of opposition factions who underwent the settlement process, fighters of government forces and civilians.
The office documented 55 assassination attempts that killed 38 people within two months; September and October.
On September 5, a Russian-brokered deal was set between government forces and dignitaries from the area to break the 28-day siege imposed on Daraa al-Balad, Tariq al-Sad neighborhood and the Camps, and to settle the status of the wanted people.
Another item of the Russian-brokered deal was to hand over the light weapons to the Syrian government security forces.
Assassinations carried out by anonymous perpetrators
The government Crime and Security Branch (CSB) inspects the crime without going further in the investigations or identifying the perpetrators, according to local residents.
Others believe the assassinations took place post the two settlement process are, directly or indirectly, in the favor of the government forces.
On October 25, unknown individuals targeted a Russian military armor in the eastern countryside of Daraa with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) killing and wounding several Russian members and causing huge damage to the armor.
On the same day, a government forces vehicle was targeted with another IED in Nasib town, Daraa eastern countryside.
The government’s explosive technicians failed to dismantle the IED so they detonated it remotely devastating the vehicle completely. No casualties were reported according to well-informed sources.
Two days earlier, a soldier in the government forces was shot dead by anonymous people in al-Sheikh Sa’ad town, Daraa western countryside.
On October 25 again, unknown perpetrators murdered two people, one of whom was a former fighter in an opposition faction.
Accusations
Muhammed al-Shara’, member of the Daraa Martyrs’ Documentation Office said the majority of assassinations are carried out by anonymous people and no party had claimed responsibility so far.
Following the 2018 settlement agreement, the campaign of assassinations mostly targeted former leaders of opposition factions and activists in the province.
On September 14, Adham al-Karrad, former leader of Rockets and Engineering Regiment, loyal to oppositions, was murdered with three others after they attended a meeting in the capital Damascus.
“The finger of blame is directly pointed to every Iran-related formation particularly the government Air Force Intelligence branch given that they repeatedly sought to obstruct the settlement deal,” Khalil al-Alwan, a former leader of the opposition said.
Activists, dignitaries and former opposition leaders are targeted the most, al-Alwan added.
Some members of the government forces were also killed to create a pretext for the government forces to enter to the towns, he noted.
On October 11, one government forces’ officer along with four members were injured in Umm al-Mayathen town, east of Daraa, when their military vehicle was targeted with an IED.
Days earlier, two members of the government forces were shot dead in the head on Damascus-Daraa highway, local forces told North Press.
On September 15, a government forces junior was also shot dead in the head on his way home in al-Shara’e town, al-Lajat area, Daraa.
According to the residents, the government forces are assassinating their own police officers since the area where they have been killed in, is characterized by heavy security presence and the civilians dare not to go there at night.