2020 Daraa clashes


The 2020 Daraa clashes was an armed conflict between rebel fighters aligned with the Free Syrian Army and Syrian government forces in the Daraa Governorate. Clashes began after the start of a government security operation against FSA insurgent cells in Al-Sanamayn and other areas in the Daraa governorate that have been active since 2018 after the defeat of rebel forces in the province. This crackdown led to actions of retaliation by rebels across the province that lead to levels of fighting unseen on such a scale since the government offensive in 2018. The fighters involved in the attack are believed to be former rebel fighters that surrendered to the government in 2018, as well as former rebels that defected to the government, and had been working against the government from within.

Background

Following the 2018 offensive that brought Daraa under control of the Syrian Arab Army, tensions between reconciled rebels and the Syrian government remained high. Many rebel forces in the area agreed to Russian-brokered reconciliation deals, in which they laid down their weapons against the forces of Bashar al-Assad. Those who did not agree to the terms were sent to rebel-held areas in Idlib Governorate by bus. However, forced disappearances, forced conscription and assassinations of former rebel fighters and commanders became common.
A low-level insurgency against the Syrian government began. Rebel cells and insurgents have targeted army checkpoints, Syrian intelligence agencies, and reconciled rebels they accused of collaborating with the government.
Formerly rebel-held towns soon became hotspots for insurgent activity. One such town was al-Sanamayn, where a former Ahrar al-Sham commander, Walid al-Zahraa, had returned with a band of fighters from around Daraa province originally from the city in 2018. Al-Zahraa and his new group, Thuwar al-Sanamayn, gained notoriety as they carried out multiple attacks on army checkpoints and security centers during the ongoing insurgency in Daraa governorate. Leading up to the military operation in Sanamyan, regular forces there were regularly engaged in clashes with rebels there.

Clashes

On 29 February 2020, the Syrian military mobilized units from the 4th armored division and 9th armored division in preparation for a security operation in the western areas of the town of Al-Sanamayn. The next day, on 1 March, Sanamayn was besieged by the Syrian military which launched a security operation against insurgent cells in the city, leading to heavy fighting that left three civilians dead. The Syrian Army attempted to storm the town of Tafas where three rebels were killed by tank fire.
In response to the military operation, rebel attacks were conducted in the western and eastern countryside of Daraa. The rebels attacked and seized an Army checkpoint in the Jaleen Housing district, a suburb in western Daraa city, capturing four officers. The FSA fighters also captured two soldiers of the fourth division in Al-Karak al-Sharqi and blocked routes west of Daraa. The rebels also seized checkpoints in the towns of Karak and al-Joulan, taking hostage several members of Air Force Intelligence. In the town of Muzayrib, rebels seized all entrances and took control of a government building there. They also set up roadblocks in Nawa, Muzayrib and Karak to stop army movements. A soldier was killed in front of his home in Daraa al-Balad by unknown gunmen and the bodies of three soldiers were found in the western countryside.
By the following day, seven rebels and seven civilians were killed in the clashes in Al-Sanamayn. 11 soldiers of the Syrian army were reported killed during the unrest between the 1st and 3rd of March. Other accounts list the death toll for soldiers, rebels, and civilians in the city to be as high as 30.
A Russian-brokered agreement was reached for rebel fighters who did not want to reconcile with the government to be transported to the rebel-held north of the country. 21 rebels were evacuated on 3 March to Al-Bab. 80 fighters chose to stay in the city and settle their status.

Aftermath

The SAA brought in tens of reinforcements to the outskirts of the towns of Tafas and Jasim city, and placed artillery on the hills of Metweq and Om Horam. A Russian delegation entered Tafas to monitor progress of the deals. On 12 March, dignitaries from Jasim city and other towns were summoned by the Syrian authorities, who requested for the rebels inside to hand over their weapons, giving the opposition forces inside a period of ten days to hand over their weapons before the SAA stormed the city and disarmed them by force.
On 18 March, Syrian Army reinforcements brought to Daraa governorate opened fire on former opposition commanders, as they passed through checkpoints in the town of Jaleen Housing, killing two and injuring one. The government forces withdrew from Jaleen back to their barracks after three soldiers were killed. Later that day, the Syrian Army and loyalists began shelling the town, killing eight civilians and injuring four others. The Syrian Army also shelled the town of Tasil.
On 25 March, two young men from Bosra al-Sham were kidnapped by a kidnapping gang from As-Suwayda, who took the men to the town of Al-Quraya. Two days later, violent clashes took place after gunmen from Bosra al-Sham attempted to infiltrate the province and attacked the town of Al-Quraya, where the two men were being held. They were repelled by the Syrian Army and pro-government local factions. Four of the attackers and ten members of the local factions were killed in the clashes, and six fighters were captured. A car was targeted by the gunmen during the fighting, leading to the death of one civilian. The kidnapping gang's ringleader killed himself with a suicide belt after being sought out by the local authorities in Al-Quraya. The next day, on 28 March, the six captured fighters from Al-Quraya were executed in Bosra al-Sham.