Thousands of civilians have fled towns and villages of Dara’a province in southern Syria as the Assad regime forces and the Iranian terrorist, backed by Russian aerial cover, have stepped bombardment of the rebel-held areas in the region. The Syrian civil defense said that the bombardment killed at least ten civilians in different areas of the province.
Local activists said that nearly 300 families on Tuesday fled the town of Al-Harak towards the Jordanian border, while 200 families fled the town of Al-Harra to safer areas in the nearby Quneitra province. The shelling killed a number of civilians, including a woman in the town of Al-Harak.
On Tuesday, the Assad regime closed most of the crossings to and from Dara’a province, preventing civilians and goods from moving in the area. It has also brought fresh military reinforcements to the region.
Meanwhile, Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, on Wednesday said that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed concern “about reports of an escalation of violence in Dara’a Governorate in southern Syria, which is endangering civilians and causing hundreds of families to become displaced.”
Activists published photos and videos showing intense bombardment targeting towns and villages in rural Dara’a by the Assad regime and Russian jets.
The Syrian Civil Defense on Wednesday said that one of its volunteers was killed in shelling on the town of Masika in rural Dara’a while carrying out its duty to rescue civilians.
The pro-regime National Defense Forces positioned in Suwayda on Tuesday carried out artillery shelling on residential neighborhoods in Dara’a city. The Syrian Coalition said that the Assad regime is seeking to provoke strife between the people of Dara’a and Suwayda to portray what is happening as a sectarian, civil war as well as to cover up its crimes against civilians. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)