Russia, Syrian Regime Threaten to Strike Daraa Countryside

Member of forces loyal to Syria's president Assad salutes a national flag in Daraa province. (Reuters file photo)
Member of forces loyal to Syria's president Assad salutes a national flag in Daraa province. (Reuters file photo)
TT

Russia, Syrian Regime Threaten to Strike Daraa Countryside

Member of forces loyal to Syria's president Assad salutes a national flag in Daraa province. (Reuters file photo)
Member of forces loyal to Syria's president Assad salutes a national flag in Daraa province. (Reuters file photo)

Syrian fighter jets flew over the western Daraa countryside in an attempt to pressure opposition factions.

The flyover was the first since the signing of the American-Russian agreement over the region in mid-2018.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the flyover.

The development took place amid Russian and Syrian regime threats to launch a widescale ground and air operation against western Daraa.

The western Daraa countryside has witnessed a fragile calm after Russian forces gave the Fourth Armored Division, led by president Bashar Assad’s brother Maher, an ultimatum to hand over or expel eight former leaders of factions in Tafas city to northern Syria within 72 hours or face a widescale military operation.

The regime forces and Fourth Armored Division were also ordered to surrender weapons in Tafas to avoid the operation.

In return, the regime demanded that Division be allowed to set up checkpoints around Tafas, carry out raids against suspected ISIS members and take over all government buildings.

The opposition Naba outlet said Russia appeared receptive to the proposal.

The Observatory said locals objected to the ultimatum, rejecting any forced displacement of people and even threatening to attack regime forces if they carry out any operation in the Tafas area.

The war monitor said unknown gunmen attacked a regime checkpoint on the international highway near the town of Saida in the eastern Daraa countryside. Casualties were reported in the ensuing clashes.



Pedersen Says ‘Extremely Critical’ to Avoid Syria Being Dragged into War in Region

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
TT

Pedersen Says ‘Extremely Critical’ to Avoid Syria Being Dragged into War in Region

UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen meets with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Sunday. (Syrian Foreign Ministry)

The UN special envoy for Syria said on Sunday that it was “extremely critical” to end the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza to avoid the country being pulled into a regional war.

“We need now to make sure that we have immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, that we have a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that we avoid Syria being dragged even further into the conflict,” said Geir Pedersen ahead of a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has not released any details about the Pedersen-Sabbagh meeting. It only issued a brief statement in which it announced the meeting.

Local sources said Pedersen's second visit to Damascus this year is aimed at exploring the possibility of resuming the Constitutional Committee meetings aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis.

The meetings have been stalled since the eighth round on February 22, 2022, due to a dispute over the venue of the reconvening of the Constitutional Committee. Russia, which is not satisfied with Switzerland's joining Western sanctions against Moscow because of the Ukraine war, refuses to hold it in Geneva.

“Pedersen is holding talks with Syrian officials in Damascus, where he arrived last Wednesday, about the possibility of resuming the Constitutional Committee meetings,” reported Syria’s Al-Watan newspaper.

Earlier this month, Russian presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told TASS: “As you know, only one venue - Geneva - is still unacceptable for the Russian side. As for all others, we are ready to work there.”

He added: “Probably, there is an open option with Baghdad, which, regrettably, was rejected by the Syrian opposition. It refused from this venue because Baghdad is supporting Damascus. They don’t think that Iraq is a neutral venue.”

The Russian diplomat stressed that the committee’s work should be resumed as soon as possible, but, in his words, it takes a lot of effort to find a venue that would be acceptable for both Damascus and the Syrian opposition.

Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Syria against government forces, Iranian troops and Hezbollah targets since the eruption of the crisis there in 2011. Strikes have increased following the Israeli war on Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.

On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll of the Israeli airstrikes on Palmyra city on November 20 continues to increase with many people suffering from severe injuries.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of three Syrians and two non-Syrian members of Iranian-backed militias, bringing the number of fatalities to 105.