Southern Syria is witnessing further military escalation and unprecedented violations of the ‘de-escalation zones’ agreement by the Assad regime and the Iranian terrorist militias. The Assad regime is preparing to launch new offensive in the region with the aim of creating a new wave of mass forced displacement as id previously did in the neighborhoods of Damascus, eastern Ghouta, Homs and Hama provines.
Local activists published photos and videos showing heavy tank and artillery shelling as well as violent airstrikes by the Assad regime and Russian forces on cities and towns of rural Dara’a.
Activists said that at least 10 civilians were killed and injured in the bombings, including a civil defense volunteer who was killed while recusing victims of bombings in the village of Maseeka.
The pro-regime National Defense Forces positioned in Suwayda 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.
Activists in rural Dara’a said that the Assad forces are preventing civilians who are fleeing from shelling and military operations from moving between towns and villages in the province. The Assad regime also shut down the roads connecting the liberated areas and the areas under its control.
The Assad regime has recently brought huge military reinforcements to Dara’a while its helicopters have dropped leaflets on the liberated areas as well as photos of the people who were forced out of eastern Ghouta. Activists said that the regime threatened the people of Dara’a province of mass forced displacement should they refuse to surrender.
The Syrian Coalition earlier stressed that Russia will bear full responsibility for any possible escalation in southern Syria. It emphasized that “neither the Russian nor the Iranian occupations will be able to break the will of the Syrian people or end their struggle against occupation and tyranny.” (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
