Government forces attempt to advance in Syria’s Daraa countryside

DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Fierce clashes took place on Saturday between Syrian government forces and local fighters in the vicinity of the town of Tafas, west of Daraa Governorate, southern Syria, after the government forces tried to advance towards the city.

In the end of July, Russian officers and representatives of residents of Daraa promised to work to calm down the situation and withdraw government military reinforcements from the town’s outskirts.

However, due to the refusal of the residents to set two military posts inside the city and house searches, in addition to the exit of a number of people who rejected the settlement agreement, negotiations failed.

A source from Tafas told North Press that the government forces attempted to advance towards the southern neighborhoods of the town in tandem with targeting civilians’ houses with heavy machineguns.

Due to the advancement attempt, violent clashes took place between the government forces and local armed men from the city who worked to thwart the attempt and succeed, he added.

During the recent hours, the government forces heavily targeted agricultural lands connecting Tafas and the town of Yadouda, west of Daraa, with Shilka shells (Russian anti-aircraft and infantry fighting vehicle), according to the source.  

A week ago, the government forces have been blocking roads leading to Tafas and preventing population from getting to their agricultural lands, causing them great losses.

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.

Reporting by Mo’ayed al-Ashqar