6 killed in clashes between ISIS, local gunmen in Syria’s Daraa
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Six were killed on Saturday, including an activist, in the ongoing clashes between militants of the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) and local gunmen, which started a week ago in the city of Daraa, south Syria.
A local source told North Press that the clashes in the Tariq al-Sadd neighborhood resulted in the killing of Ihab al-Kur and Omar Abu Ouleiqa from the Muhammad al-Masalma group, who belongs to ISIS.
Meanwhile, three local gunmen were killed by ISIS snipers in the al-Mohandessin residences in the same neighborhood, according to the source.
The deceased of the local gunmen are Muhammad Wahid al-Naser, from the town of Muzayrib in Daraa western countryside, Muhammad Musa al-Falouji and Muhammad Safwan Bagboug. All three served in the ranks of the Syrian opposition armed factions and underwent the Russian-mediated 2018 agreement, the source noted.
In July 2018, the Syrian opposition armed factions and Syrian 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).
“Media activist Atef Shabli al-Saadi was caught up and severely wounded while he was covering the hostilities in the neighborhood. He later died when he was undergoing surgery at one of the private hospitals in the city,” the source continued.
The media activist survived an assassination attempt carried out by unknown gunmen on Friday, according to what a close person from the family said.
Al-Saadi’s brother, Basem al-Saadi, was killed in an armed attack by unidentified gunmen in the Muzayrib neighborhood last March.
Meanwhile, the child Bassem Ahmed al-Abazid died in a hospital in the capital Damascus after being injured as a result of an explosion of a remnant of war on Thursday in the al-Arbaeen neighborhood of Daraa city.
In a separate context, eyewitnesses told North Press that Rashwan al-Bardan and Ibrahim al-Bardan were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the town of Tafas in the western countryside of Daraa.