Seven including two ISIS members killed in Syria’s Daraa in week
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Syrian southern governorate of Daraa witnessed ongoing killing incidents in the current week amidst a state of security chaos where seven individuals, including two Islamic State Organization (ISIS) militants, were killed in different areas.
On October 26, local sources told North Press “Ziyad Abdullah Abu Sa’fiyan” was killed by unknown armed men in the town of Al-Shajara in the western countryside of Daraa.
The sources added that Abu Sa’fiyan was a civilian and used to work in agriculture. The party behind the attack and motives have not been revealed.
On October 25, eyewitnesses told North Press that residents of the city of Nawa in the western countryside of Daraa found the body of the young man “Awad Hammdan” handcuffed and bearing gunshots.
The eyewitnesses added Hammdan, who hails from the village of al-Jbailah, is accused of operating for the ISIS sleeper cells.
On October 23, unidentified attackers shot dead Majd Muhammad al-Sayiad and his brother Maher on Shihab-Zayzona route.
Local sources told North Press that Majd had been detained by the government forces and he was set free days ago, and his brother Maher was only 17 years old.
In a different incident, residents of Tel Shihab west of Daraa found the body of Omar Ibrahim al-Jbawi near a roundabout in the town.
Meanwhile, local a source told North Press that al-Jbawi is accused of being affiliated with ISIS.
On the same day, another local source told North Press that Khaldoun al-Jrad so-called al-Saqer was shot dead by unknown attackers in the town of al-Harah in the northern countryside of Daraa.
Al-Jrad, according to the same source, is said to be affiliated with State Security branch and accused of trading and promoting drugs.
On October 22, North Press cited eyewitnesses as saying that the body of Faisal Ahmad Ayed al-Arnous was found in Tel Umm Horan south of the town of Jassim in the northern countryside of Daraa.
The eyewitnesses added that al-Arnous, who hails from the village of Ain Ziwan in the countryside of Quneitra, was kidnapped by ISIS militants three weeks ago when a campaign was launched against the organization in the governorate.
On the same day, “Alaa’ Tayseer al-Masalmah and Ahmed Mustafa al-Mahamid, were shot dead near the post office building by unidentified gunmen in the city of Daraa.”
Al-Masalmah and al-Mahamid served in the ranks of the armed opposition factions before joining the settlement agreement in July 2018.
In July 2018, the Syrian 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, formerly al-Nusra Front).
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, officials and officers of the government forces, not to mention the spread of thefts.