Government forces arrest former opposition leader in Syria’s Daraa
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Syrian government forces arrested on Saturday a former leader of the Syrian opposition at a checkpoint in the northern countryside of Daraa, southern Syria.
A local source told North Press, ”A checkpoint of the government-affiliated Military Security Branch in the village of al-Qnayyah, north of Daraa, has arrested Ahmad Ma’moun al-Wadi, a former leader of one of the Syrian armed opposition factions.”
“Al-Wadi, who hails from the town of Inkhil in the northern countryside of Daraa, was a leader in the Mujahideen Houran faction, one of the opposition factions in southern Syria,” the source said.
The source added, “Al-Wadi joined the 2018 settlement agreement, and has not joined any military formation ever since.”
In July 2018, the opposition armed factions and government forces reached a settlement agreement mediated by Russia in the opposition-held areas in Daraa Governorate. Under the deal, the opposition militants who agreed to hand over their heavy weapons were handed a settlement card and allowed to stay in Daraa, while those opposed the agreement would go to Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Activists in the city of Daraa and its countryside described the recent arrests as not adhering to the 2018 settlement agreement.
Earlier on Saturday, Syrian government forces arrested 10 people in the town of Jassem, north of Daraa, asking for big ransoms in exchange for their release.