DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Settlement process is over in Syria’s southern city of Daraa since early November, yet assassinations against civilians and members of government forces are on the rise.
Yesterday, unknown attackers directly fired at Ahmad Salah Menoukh al-Hariri after they raided his house in al-Hirak town wounding him critically.
The day before, three other men were killed in the eastern countryside of Daraa.
Similarly, Rabee’ Radi al-Adawi and his nephew Qasem Abdurrazaq were shot dead by anonymous gunmen in al-Hirak town. People hospitalized them but they died later of their wounds. The two of them were not affiliated with any military party. local sources told North Press.
Member of Syrian government forces
Ahmad Ibrahim al-Zo’bi, nicknamed Sanjar was shot dead by unknown gunmen in al-Musayfrah town in Daraa eastern countryside. Sanjar used to fight with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) before Syrian government forces control Daraa in 2018.
On November 17, Haydar Miyaser Hussam ad-Din, 28, was killed in an ambush set up by anonymous gunmen who shot him directly on Dael-Ebta’a road.
He was lieutenant in the Ninth Brigade affiliated with the Syrian government.
On November 13, four people, including a little girl, were killed when unknown gunmen attacked them in al-Sanamayn town, Daraa northern countryside.
On the same day, three members of Syrian government forces were wounded when an IED exploded on Na’ima-Sayda road in Daraa’s eastern countryside.
Storming operations and arrests
Syrian government forces used to storm and arrest residents in Daraa after every assassination attempt. Even the Bedouins in the outskirts of Nahta town did not spare the storming operations the government forces conducted last week.
“Syrian government forces stormed Bedouin houses who displaced to the plains of Daraa,” Marwan al-Hamad, a Bedouin in Daraa’s eastern countryside told North Press.
Syrian government forces also stormed two houses belonging to people from al-Hawasnah tribe who displaced over eight years ago to Lajat area, al-Hamad added.
Later, two people from the same tribe were arrested while shopping in al-Musayfrah town.
Iran-backed fighters
Ibrahim al-Jabawi, a dissident officer from government forces who is currently a member of the negotiation body, said there are two reasons why assassination attempts increased in Daraa. Firstly, the resurgence of people who brag they are loyal to Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran. Those people are the direct target of local residents.
Secondly, militias allied to Iran and Hezbollah retaliate from people who served, and some are still serving, in the Syrian opposition against Bashar al-Assad.
According to al-Jabawi, Russia divided Daraa to three territorial parts: the west countryside is controlled by security military branch, the north countryside, also known as Jidor, is controlled by the security state and the east countryside is controlled by air force intelligence branch.
Russia has decided to seize full control of the Syrian south city of Daraa and oust Iranian-backed militias away from the Syrian-Israeli borders, al-Jabawi noted.
“In the last period, we learned that some Iranian-backed militias did withdraw from Daraa in accordance with the settlement process,” al-Jabawi added.
After all, al-Jabawi wondered if Russia is capable to oust all Iranian-backed militias from Daraa specially from northeastern part.