Policy Brief 184 August 2021

ORSAM POLICY BRIEF 184 AUGUST 2021 INSECURITY IN SOUTHERN SYRIA: THE CASE OF QUNEITRA AND SUWAYDA (APRIL – JUNE 2021) Suhail al-Ghazi INTRODUCTION governorates, and the Assad regime. The escalations and security chaos are due ince the summer of 2018, the se- to several reasons, most notably the re- S curity situation in southern Syria gime forces’ attempts to enter new areas or has continued to deteriorate, which weaken the local leaders refusing to hold threatens to cause severe repercussions the presidential elections. The neighboring on the ground by undermining the fragile As-Suwayda governorate is also witnessing peace and the reconciliation agreement a similar security deterioration. High crime between the people of Daraa and Quneitra rates and tension between various armed Insecurity in Southern Syria: The Case of Quneitra and Suwayda (April – June 2021) groups, stemming from diffi- manded the notables to hand cult economic conditions and over the militants or evacuate service crises prompted many them to the country’s north. local residents to join Russian The meeting was inconclu- mercenary companies to fight sive, causing the tension and in other countries. This report intermittent bombardments highlights the most prominent to continue until the Central security events that occurred Committee of Daraa Gover- on the ground in Quneitra and norate offered to relocate the As-Suwayda governorates. wanted persons to the countryside of Daraa. The regime 1. QUNEITRA rejected this offer, insisting in- One of the most notable stead on the displacement of events in the Quneitra gover- the wanted persons and their families. Quneitra province norate was the displacement is witnessing of families from Umm Batnah, On 14 May, the two par- a deteriorating a central village in the gov- ties reached an agreement to security situation ernorate, in mid-May. Earlier, displace 160 people from the due to IRGC-backed unidentified armed men had village to the north of Syria in forces’ attempts launched an attack on a mili- exchange for easing tension to enter new areas tary site in the town of Jabba and the regime’s approval of a in the province, held by Hezbollah, which in- new reconciliation deal for all which is still not cludes members of the Qu- locals. The regime also agreed accepted by the neitra Martyrs Brigade, one of to issue new reconciliation locals, especially in the armed opposition groups cards for the governorate’s the face of a difficult that joined the regime forces youth. Following the agree- economic situation. after the reconciliation agreement, the families were round- ment. ed up in buses heading to the north of Syria. However, they This attack prompted the had to wait for about 36 hours Hezbollah militias stationed at the Abu Zendin crossing in around Tal al-Shaar to target the countryside of al-Bab, be- the village of Umm Batnah fore the National Army forces with machine guns and heavy allowed them to enter. artillery without causing any reported casualties. Once the This displacement is a new shelling stopped, a committee step in the Fourth Division and consisting of the village’s local the Iran-backed militias’ plan figures and the Central Com- to enter new areas and set up mittee of Quneitra Governor- military posts in the governorate met with the Military Se- ates of Quneitra and Daraa. curity Branch officers, who -de The events that occurred in 2 policy brief 184 Suhail al-Ghazi Assad Regime displaces 30 families in Quneitra Umm Batnah village and Tafas in the coun- attack while also trying to plant an explosive tryside of Daraa governorate at the begin- device near the Israeli border in 2015. Ac- ning of this year seem to follow a pattern. cording to loyalist pages, Tahrir died on 17 The plan puts local leaders and residents in May after being wounded in the raid. Israeli a difficult situation as they cannot do much helicopters also dropped leaflets near the against it. In addition, local cells linked to the border bearing pictures of Hezbollah lead- regime assassinate local notables that had er Jawad Hisham and regime officers from previously opposed the regime and the Ira- the 90th Brigade, warning regime officers nian militias. and residents not to cooperate with Hezbol- lah in order not to become targets of Israeli During this period, the Quneitra gover- raids. On 17 June, Israeli artillery targeted a norate witnessed several Israeli raids target- reconnaissance point belonging to the 90th ing sites belonging to Iran-backed militias. Brigade in the town of al-Qahtaniyah in Qu- On 5 May, an Israeli helicopter targeted re- neitra without causing any casualties. gime-held sites near Jubata al-Khashab in the countryside west of Quneitra, without Assassinations reports of casualties. On 10 May, an Israeli helicopter hit a site near the town of Had- The Quneitra governorate witnessed nine er in the Quneitra countryside, wounding operations targeting people associated with Tahrir Mahmoud, a Hezbollah affiliate, while the regime and Hezbollah in the past three he was trying to plant an explosive device months, where 12 people, including four ci- near the border fence. Tahrir is the brother of vilians and two children (whose fathers were Nazih and Thaer, who were killed in a similar the targets), were killed. www.orsam.org.tr 3 Insecurity in Southern Syria: The Case of Quneitra and Suwayda (April – June 2021) On 17 April, an explosive device struck ernorate as new armed groups emerge and a military vehicle near the town of Nabe’ local gangs continue their kidnappings for al-Sakhr, killing Hadi Khuza and Hisham ransom. Suwayda Network reported a total al-Khubi, both members of the Military Se- of 24 nine kidnappings on 24 April, in May, curity Branch. Two children, Muhammad and and on 18 June. The kidnappings also in- Saada Bakkar, were also killed on 23 April, cluded the regime’s arrest of several peo- during the bombing attack targeting their ple from the province for various reasons father, Abdullah Bakkar, a former armed op- and kidnappings of officers and members position leader who had joined the Military of the regime army by local factions for de- Security. On 3 May, unknown armed men tainee exchange. The exchange of kidnap- shot dead Theeb Khalifa, a retired brigadier pings between Daraa and As-Suwayda also general in the Air Force Intelligence. On 4 increased. A gang from As-Suwayda kid- June, an explosive device blew up the car napped a young man from the Hariri family of Shadi al-Haji, a member of the Hezbollah in Busr al-Harir in Daraa for ransom. In June, militia, near his house in the town of al-Mual- the victim’s relatives responded by kidnap- laqa, killing him and wounding his wife. In ping several citizens from As-Suwayda due mid-June, the former head of the Quneitra to a delay in his release. The notables tried Provincial Council of the opposition, Dirar al- to have the extorted people released, but Bashir, was injured in a car explosion in the only some were released, and the issue per- southern countryside of the governorate. sisted. Without the regime or Russia’s inter- Locals know Al-Bashir as the leading fig- vention, the abductions may further esca- ure promoting reconciliation in the Quneitra late the tension between the people of Da- governorate and one of the notables who raa and As-Suwayda. Despite the mediation sided with the regime after the reconciliation of As-Suwayda’s notables, Hariri’s ongoing agreement. detention shows that the kidnapping could be aimed at provocation instead of merely On 20 April, ISIS claimed responsibility for ransom. killing two soldiers from the 112th Brigade with machine guns in the town of Ghadir al- The areas between the eastern country- Bustan. On 27 June, Hussein Kaid, the may- side of Daraa and As-Suwayda governorate or of Ghadir al-Bustan village, was killed in are witnessing increasing tension due to land his car by unknown shooters. On 25 June, a disputes and mutual kidnappings. Locals young man named Mudhi al-Shamali died from As-Suwayda blame the Eighth Brigade when an explosive device blew up Judge of the Fifth Corps, under Ahmed al-Awda, for Muhammad al-Shamali’s car, who was his the incidents. Ahmed al-Awda, on the other father. On 6 July, shooters attacked First hand, defends himself by withdrawing his Lieutenant Muhammad Ibrahim in Nabe al- forces around al-Qrayya, in the east of Bus- Sakhr. ra. The tension is rooted in the battles between the opposition and regime forces be- 2. AS-SUWAYDA tween 2013 and 2017. It continued even after The security and living conditions con- the opposition factions in Daraa signed the tinue to deteriorate in the As-Suwayda gov- reconciliation agreement with the regime in 4 policy brief 184 Suhail al-Ghazi Security incidents in As-Suwayda 25 20 15 10 5 0 April May June Kidnapping Death Detention As Russian private security companies 2018. When most of Daraa was tives. It wants the extradition recruit more men under the regime’s control, the of the young men wanted for from As-Suwayda Eighth Brigade forces held ag- compulsory service and the to fight in foreign ricultural lands belonging to opening of all the towns and countries by the As-Suwayda governorate. cities of the governorate to its benefiting from They prevented the displaced security personnel. the dire living residents from returning to conditions, civil their villages. Despite several Like Daraa, the regime peace is threatened meetings between village no- could not effectively mobilize by the emergence tables from the governorates its supporters to participate in of new foreign- of As-Suwayda and Daraa, no the elections and the electoral backed political and agreement was reached for rallies in the As-Suwayda gov- armed formations, several reasons.

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