19 Individuals lost lives within one week in Syria’s Daraa
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Syria’s southern governorate of Daraa witnessed an increase in killing incidents during the last week where 19 murders incidents were recorded, most of the victims were civilians, including a child in separated areas of the governorate.
On Friday morning, residents found a body belonged to Muhammad Kassem Qatlish, near al-Shammari press on the al-Muzayrib al-Ash’ari road, west of the city of Tafas in the western countryside of Daraa, local sources told North Press.
The sources added that Qatlish, hails from the city of Dael in the central countryside of Daraa, and works in repairing motorcycles in Tafas.
On Thursday, the countryside of Daraa witnessed the killing of four people and the injury of another.
The first assistant, Nasser Thayer al-Ghussein, was killed on Thursday as a result of being targeted by unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle in the town of Simlin, north of Daraa, eyewitnesses told North Press.
The victim was from the village of al-Shara’i, in Lajat area in the eastern countryside of Daraa, according to the eyewitnesses.
Sadiq Hussein Awier was also killed and Qassem Awier was wounded after they were targeted by unknown gunmen on Dael-Atma road in the middle countryside of Daraa.
The two young men hail from Dael, and they have never joined any security or military formation, according to local sources.
Residents also found two bodies belonging to Muhammad Taha Qanbar and Khaled Abdullah Qanbar in agricultural plains south of Dael, according to eyewitnesses.
The two young men, who hail from the city of Dael, are both accused of working in promoting narcotics substances in the region.
On June 29, local sources told North Press that Ahmad Ghadir al-Hwaiti al-Khalidi was killed, as he was targeted by unknown gunmen in front of his house in al-Ajami in the western countryside of Daraa
Al-Khalidi hails from Homs Governorate. He is one of the drug dealers and promoters in west of Daraa, according to the sources.
Al-Khalidi previously worked in a group affiliated with the Fourth Division of the government forces, which was led by Abu Salem al-Khalidi, one of the largest drug dealers in the region, before being arrested by the government forces a year ago, the sources added.
On June 28, unidentified gunmen killed three members of the government forces Muhammad Ghazi al-Arar, Elias Youssef al-Nashi and Ibrahim Ahmad al-Nashy on the road between Jasim and Nawa in the western countryside of Daraa, a local source told North Press.
The source added that they were from the town of Nasiriyah in the western countryside of Daraa.
On the same day, a local source told North Press that residents found the body of the young man, Ziyad Hassan al-Afis, on the road between the towns of al-Taebah and Kiheel in the eastern countryside of Daraa, a day after he had been kidnapped by unknown persons in the town of al-Musayfirah east of Daraa.
On June 27, unknown gunmen stormed the house of president of the Agriculture Directorate, engineer Ahmad Zakaria al-Atma, in the city of al-Sanamayn in the northern countryside of Daraa.
As a result, five individuals including a child were killed. They were all in the house, eyewitnesses told North Press.
The attack resulted in the killing of Kamal Yahya al-Atma, Secretary of the Daraa branch of the Baath Party, Ahmad Ismail al-Atma, Khaled Ahmad al-Atma, Mahmoud Zakaria al-Atma and Zakaria Ahmad al-Atma, and two women were slightly injured.
On June 22, Muhammad Fayez Qatlish was killed by unidentified gunfire in the city of Dael, a local source told North Press.
Qatlish hails from Dael and was also a drug dealer, according to the source.
In September 2021, dignitaries of Daraa governorate and Syrian government reached a ceasefire agreement under Russia’s mediation which included handing over weapons of the local factions, and deploying government’s security posts in the towns of the governorate.
Daraa governorate continues to witness ongoing killing operations without knowing the party behind them, as no party has claimed responsibility for these attacks.