Six killed in Syria’s Daraa in week
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Syria’s southern governorate of Daraa witnessed several attacks by unidentified gunmen which claimed the lives of six people, including a woman and members of the government forces, last week.
On Jan. 4, a local source told North Press unknown gunmen shot a woman teacher to death in the city of Daraa al-Balad.
Hanan al-Abdullah was shot to death on the road, however, the reason for targeting her is yet to be known, the source said.
On Jan. 3, unknown gunmen opened fire on Muhammad Joudeh Rifa’i while he was near a military checkpoint of the Syrian government forces in the town of Samlin, north of Daraa.
Rifa’i, who was waiting for the bus to go to work, died instantly.
On Jan. 2, two soldiers of the government forces were killed after their car was targeted in the western countryside of Daraa.
A local source told North Press that both Nassib Najdat Daghman and Ala’ Shaaban Moussa were shot to death by unknown gunmen.
On the same day, a local source said Nader al-Mafaalani was killed by unknown gunmen in the city of Hirak, east of Daraa.
On Jan. 1, Abdullah Shafiq Abu Horan died of his wounds after he was shot by unknown militants, a source told North Press.
Abu Horan was shot on Dec. 29, 2022. He was hospitalized then and died on Jan.1, the source added.
Abu Horan was a civilian. He had nothing to do with the military, according to the source.
In July 2018, the opposition armed faction and government forces reached a ceasefire agreement – later known as the settlement agreement – mediated by Russia in the opposition-held areas in Daraa Governorate. Under the deal, the militants of the opposition armed factions agreed to hand over their heavy weapons in exchange for staying in Daraa, while those who opposed the agreement would be sent to Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front).
Since the government forces re-captured Daraa in line with the 2018 agreement, the governorate has been living in a state of security chaos, with one or two daily assassinations targeting soldiers and officers of the government forces, not to mention the spread of thefts.