The successes of the Syrian army: the defeat of the opposition forces in the south and access to the Jordanian border
BRIEF REVIEW OF FIGHTING BATTLE ACTIONS IN SYRIA FOR A WEEK
After the liberation of the Al-Yarmuk camp of Palestinian settlers, the last point controlled by armed anti-government opposition groups in the Damascus region, the forces of the Syrian government army, with the support of the Russian armed forces, launched an offensive in the southern border areas of the country. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and RIA "News”, During the past week, the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Parties, relying on the increased power of the government forces, was able to persuade the residents of 27 settlements in the governorates of Daraa, Quneitra and Essaouida to stop their armed resistance.
Russian plane attacks the position of anti-government forces in the southern regions of Syria
However, it was not immediately possible to force militants of even moderate groups to negotiate peace. The “Center for the Reconciliation of the Parties”, in an effort to reduce the level of confrontation, started negotiations with the militants as early as July 1, 2018, but on July 3 they were thwarted due to the obstinacy of anti-government forces. Therefore, on July 4, the Russian VKS were forced, acting from the Khmeimim airbase, to conduct an operation, which received the unofficial name “scorched earth” among our military. During 15 hours, several dozen planes attacked the positions of various jihadist groups in southern Syria before the 600 air assault bombs.
After that, the Syrian government troops launched an offensive and successfully occupied a number of settlements. In the same region of 5 on July 2018, the forces of official Damascus began fierce battles for the city of Sayda, which controls the strategic intersection of roads No. 109 and М5. Developing their successes, government units reached the town of Deraa and the Jaber checkpoint on the border with Jordan, gradually beginning to rebuild frontier outposts abandoned by 7 years ago. Thus, in the triangle formed by the borders of Jordan, Israel and the front of the advancing Syrian troops, a large group of armed opposition forces was squeezed.
6 July (and again thanks to the mediation efforts of the Russian "Center for Reconciliation"), one of the militant groups in the province of Deraa, "Shabab al-Sunna" ("Sunni youth"), began negotiations on the signing of an armistice agreement while keeping personal weapons and the free evacuation of volunteers to Idlib). We are talking about the possible surrender of the famous and ancient city of Bosra, which is currently a stronghold of the above group. The militants who are there may still have an impact on the nearby cities of Dera'a and Suwayda, and therefore the likely peaceful surrender of this settlement is highly desirable for the official government of Syria.
The situation in southern Syria in June-early July 2018 g.
It should be noted that the Syrian militants of anti-government groups in the south of the country negotiate exclusively with the officers of the Russian "Center for the Reconciliation of the Parties" and refuse to directly negotiate "With these false Alawites"declaring that "We have always won the supporters of Assad, and if not for Russian help, the forces of the Sunnah Mujahideen would have won long ago". However, they emphasize that “Russia is a great country, only we cannot resist its power,” and “the Russians never violate their treaties, only we can trust them.”
However, besides the forces of Shabab as-Sunna, there are gangs from the forces of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra (Victory Front), groups recognized as terrorist and banned in the Russian Federation. Their stronghold is currently the city of Deraa, which can be said to be world famous thanks to the actions of 100 years ago in the area of troops led by the famous Lawrence of Arabia. Unfortunately, the Khalid Ben Al-Walid group (named after the famous early medieval Muslim commander who fought in these places) based in the town of Tafas supported and refused to negotiate.
A squad of Syrian government troops awaiting the outcome of the peace talks around the Jordanian border
In general, there is nothing to talk about with all the above-mentioned militant groups, and therefore, during 5-7 in July 2018, the government forces against the Russian HVA fought actively.
On July 7, information was received that Sayda City and a large former air defense base in that area were still taken as a result of fierce battles, and this contributed to the fact that most of the moderate opposition commanders in Daraa governorate went to a ceasefire and started negotiations.
At the moment in this area there is an agreement on the division of the warring forces by creating a neutral zone between them under the control of the exclusively Russian military police.
A platoon of Syrian government troops enters the village of Usman in Dera'a province
Syrian government forces take complete control of Side. Also, after the local population transferred the Nasib and Um-al-Miyzan settlements to the control of the government, the troops regained their presence on the Damascus-Amman strategic highway, restoring the border base and the Nasib checkpoint on the Jordanian border. This checkpoint is a strategically important point of communication through which trade is conducted between Syria, Jordan and even between Lebanon and Iraq.
Militants in this region (except radicals from terrorist groups), Russian officers of the Center for Reconciliation, if they wish to stay here, are given guarantees of amnesty provided they do not participate in war crimes, and those who do not plan to stay and go to peaceful life are given possibility of free evacuation to Idlib province.
After the final establishment of control of government forces over Sida and the restoration of control over the Jordanian border, the militants remaining in the area of the cities of Bosra and Deraa will be deprived of supplies and forced to surrender.
However, for the time being it can be said that the Russian diplomatic word and the Russian military presence do much more than the Syrian government weapons, and the militants do not trust official Damascus and refuse to conduct direct negotiations with it, recognizing the agreement exclusively with the Russian side.
- Mikhail Syrian
- Michael Ala-ed-Din and RIA "News"
Information