Syria, local factions advance: “80 percent of Daraa under control”

Local Syrian factions have taken control of around 80% of Daraa province, advancing into dozens of cities, towns and villages. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (Sohr), the conquered territories include strategic locations such as Busr al Harir, Nawa, Inkhil and Mahja. The government army, together with its security apparatus, has completely withdrawn from numerous military outposts and headquarters, concentrating its presence in a few areas: Daraa al Balad, Izraa and al Sanamayn. In parallel with these successes on the ground, the rebel factions launched an appeal to the regime forces and security services present in the province, inviting them to defect immediately.

The rebels took control of other important installations, such as the Jasim police stations and the provincial intelligence headquarters. Daraa, in southwestern Syria, is crucial for its strategic location on the border with Jordan and Israel, and for its historical symbolism: it is the birthplace of the 2011 uprising against Assad. Close to Damascus, controlling it means directly threatening the regime. A commercial and military crossroads, as well as for illicit trafficking such as the Captagon sale, the province is a focal point for regional stability and the theater of local resistance despite the apparent 2018 reconciliation brokered by Russia.