Russian officers promise residents of Syria’s Daraa to reduce tension
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Russian officers on Sunday promised representatives of the residents of Daraa, southwestern Syria, to work towards easing the situation in the governorate and withdraw Syrian government reinforcements.
On July 24, the head of the security committee of the Syrian government forces, Major General Mufeed Hassan, threatened to target a number of areas in Daraa Governorate using warplanes and heavy artillery.
On July 28, the government forces sent reinforcements to the vicinity of Jassim, a city northwest of Daraa, after some wanted persons refused to engage in the settlement agreements.
In 2021, Daraa Governorate went through an 80-day-seige. After that, a number the city’s tribal leaders and government forces, with mediation of Russian officers, reached a ceasefire agreement on September 5, 2021, including handing over weapons and deploying governmental security posts in the towns of the governorate.
A source informed with the matter told North Press, “A meeting took place in the municipal building in Daraa city. It included Mufeed Hassan, the head of the Military Security Branch in Daraa Brigadier General Lou’i al-Ali, representatives of the governorate’s population and Russian officers.”
He added that “the Russian officers promised the residents to work to calm things down and persuade the government to pull back the military reinforcements – it had brought to the city’s vicinity a few days ago – back to its military barracks.”
He noted that the government representatives insisted on their demands to the opposite side, which is to establish two military posts inside the city and search a number of houses, in addition to turning in a number of people who reject the settlement agreement and are inside the city.
However, these demands were rejected by the residents’ representatives, who demanded the government to withdraw as soon as possible and allow the residents to enter their farms and work on their agricultural projects, which are now being damaged, incurring them great losses, according to the source.
Since the government forces re-captured Daraa in 2018, the governorate has been living in a state of security chaos, as it witnesses almost daily operations targeting soldiers and officers of the Syrian government forces, not to mention the spread of thefts.