A three-day ceasefire has come into effect in the besieged city of Daraa in southwestern Syria, after weeks of intense attacks by pro-Assad forces on the opposition-held enclave.
On August 31, a delegation of the Daraa Central Committee met with the Assad regime’s security committee under Russian supervision. Fighting halted on Wednesday as Russian generals offered a new plan that lays out the following demands: Russian military police entered the opposition stronghold to patrol the Deraa al-Balad district,
Activists of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) have monitored the ongoing cautious calm in Daraa province, specifically in Daraa al-Balad, on Wednesday. The SOHR said the number of reconciliation deals struck to 33.
The latest offensive by Assad regime forces, who are aided by pro-Iranian militias, occurred on Tuesday. Local sources said the latest army campaign came amid successive attacks by remnants of opposition groups on army checkpoints and outposts in Dael, Jasem, and other towns across Daraa province. Families caught in the crossfire had fled to safer areas near the Jordanian border.
Residents of Daraa al-Balad said the shops were nearly “empty of all food” with reports of no electricity for lengthy periods.
“Only women and children under 15 have been allowed out of the besieged area on foot after being subjected to security checks and told to leave their identity cards behind”, they added.
