Government forces kill, injure brothers in Syria’s Daraa
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Syrian government forces killed on Tuesday a man and injured his brother in the city of al-Sheikh Maskin in the countryside of Daraa, southern Syria.
A local source told North Press that the government forces fatally shot at Salah al-Hamlan and injured his brother Rashed on the outskirts of al-Sheikh Maskin.
The government forces carried the deceased’s body away and transferred the injured, who was in a critical condition, to the Public Hospital in Daraa, the source added.
The two brothers, who hail from Bedouin tribes in the Governorate of Suwayda, had been living in Daraa for several years, the source noted.
They are accused of killing two police officers, Ahmad Zakariya al-Wadi and Imad Muhammad al-Safadi, on June 14 and 15, according to the same source.
State-run SANA News Agency reported that security forces managed to arrest the leader of a “terrorist” cell, whereas one of its members, who was accused of killing two police officers and a soldier was, killed.
Since the government forces re-captured Daraa in 2018, the governorate has been living in a state of insecurity, with daily assassinations targeting soldiers and officers of the government forces, as well as the spread of thefts.
In July 2018, the opposition armed factions and government forces reached a cease-fire agreement mediated by Russia in the opposition-held areas of Daraa Governorate. Under the deal, the opposition factions agreed to hand over their weapons in exchange for staying in Daraa. Those who opposed the agreement were sent to Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front).