16 July 2018
Ten days ago an agreement was made between the Government of Syria (GoS) and some opposition armed groups (OAGs) in Daraa province. The Syrian Civic Platform (SCP) has been documenting the developments on the ground that have occurred since its signing. They are as follows:
- GoS forces have not committed to withdraw from all the villages and towns which they entered after the beginning of the last military campaign. GoS forces deployed barriers at the entrance of Giza town, and these checkpoints consist of airforce intelligence, military security and army branches.
- GoS forces have been deployed on the outskirts of the towns of Saida, Masifra, Kahil and Um al-Mayzn. The army has been checking civilians, but there have been no arrests of civilians.
- On July 15 in Saida two corpses of civilians were found; they were killed at the beginning of the army’s entry into the town.
- On July 15, the transfers of 450 people from Daraa province to the north of Syria (Idlib) were registered. The total number of people who will be transferred to Idlib province is estimated to be about 1,400 persons.
- The civilians in Daraa City (neighborhoods of Daraa Al-Balad, Al-Sad and Al-Mahim) have been informed to check into the settlement points deployed in these neighborhoods starting today, to resolve their situations. It is noteworthy that the army did not enter the neighborhoods of Daraa Al-balad and Al-Sad.
- The delivery of heavy weapons continues at the date of writing this report.
- On July 15 a deal exchange took place in which opposition forces handed five prisoners to GoS. In return, GoS returned five corpses of young people from Daraa-Al Balad who were killed earlier in the fighting in Saida town.
- GoS forces continue to deploy on the outskirts of the areas which are controlled by ISIS, and a battle to liberate the Yarmuk basin from ISIS control is expected soon.
- In the villages and towns which the GoS army entered temporarily, there is evidence of theft and looting (Saida, Karak, Masifra, Giza, Naimah and other villages). One situation was documented in which the Russian army prevented elements of the GoS army in Naimah from stealing the contents of houses in the town.
- Regarding the situation of displaced persons, the return of people from Saida, Kahil, Naima, Um al-Mayzn, Taibeh, Busra Al-Sham and most of the villages and towns in the eastern countryside was registered.
- Until now, the displaced people from other areas of Daraa and Quneitra province continue to gather in Quneitra on the western border with Israel. The humanitarian situation of the displaced remains poor, with scarcity of water, medicine, infant formula and other basic necessities.