Government forces threaten to invade town north of Syria’s Daraa
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, Syrian government forces tightened the embargo on the town of Jassem in the northern countryside of Daraa Governorate, south Syria, threatening to storm it.
This came after the notables of the town rejected to negotiate the government in the city of Daraa. They preferred to hold negotiations in the town.
A local source told North Press that the government forces asked owners of farms on the outskirts of Jassem to evacuate on the pretext of inspection that was rejected by locals fearing being robbed or sabotaged at the hands of the soldiers.
The source added that the government forces threatened to storm the town in case the locals and former leaders of the opposition reject the forces to enter the town.
On Saturday, representatives of the town and former leaders of the opposition in Jassem rejected to meet the security committee of the government forces to negotiate in Daraa according to the same source.
The source indicated that the town’s notables wanted to negotiate in the town, not to go to Daraa city fearing the scenario of the Tafas delegation be re-enacted.
On August 25, five people including a former leader and member of the negotiating committee were killed after leaving the meeting.
On September 1, sent military reinforcements to the town of Jassem including more than 300 soldiers, four-wheeled cars provided with anti-aircraft machinery, a tank and a BMB.
Since the government forces re-captured Daraa in 2018, the governorate has been living in a state of insecurity, with one or two daily assassinations targeting soldiers and officers of the government forces, not to mention the spread of thefts.
In 2021, Daraa Governorate went through an 80-day-seige. After that, a number of Daraa’s notables 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.