Besieged civilians of Daraa al-Balad, the capital of southern Daraa province, have made a public appeal to the Syrian regime to flee the city, seeking to escape a wide-scale attack by Russia-backed regime forces that left two people dead, local activists said Tuesday.
The regime forces and Iran-led militias have stormed the eastern neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad despite a deal reached on Monday between the regime and its opponents ends a month-old siege and stops a military operation in exchange for the opposition handing over their light weapons.
The regime had previously threatened to storm Daraa unless residents hand over all weapons and allow troops to search homes.
One human rights group warned of "serious humanitarian repercussions" affecting up to 40,000 people if the Syrian regime continued its siege on Daraa.
The agreement also stipulated that the regime forces would establish 3 military points in Daraa al-Balad, and settle the situation of dozens of young men who did not settle after the agreement sponsored by Russia in 2018, according to which thousands of opponents left the city to the north of Syria, while the You remain in the settlement area with the regime.
The deal, as reported by local news, stipulates that all light weaponry are handed over to regime forces, as well as the disarmament of pro-regime militias in the area.
On June 25, the Syrian regime forces and their affiliated militias imposed a siege on the Daraa al-Balad area, which is inhabited by 40,000 people, after the former opponents of the region refused to hand over light weapons, as it was in violation of the agreement brokered by Russia 3 years ago, which stipulated that the opposition hand over heavy and medium weapons. Just, keep her light weapon.
During the past few days, Syrians and activists have expressed through social media their solidarity with the people of Daraa, calling for an end to the siege imposed on them by the forces of the Syrian regime and its ally Russia.
Under a reconciliation agreement when the opposition area came back under regime control, locals were able to keep their light weapons.
Regime forces can keep three security checkpoints within Daraa Al-Balad, according to the agreement, but have to reopen all roads in the city.
All regime reinforcements will also have to pull out and return to their barracks.
The sources added that the security status of 135 people in the area wanted by the regime will be settled in the coming days.
The Daraa province - a former stronghold of the Syrian opposition - has been the site of ambushes on regime forces.
Ten years of war in Syria have killed 500,000 people and driven half the pre-war population of 22 million from their homes, including more than 6.7 million as refugees to neighbouring countries. (Zaman, Agencies)
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