A boy holds up a poster in a protest against sieges in Daraa Province in Southern Syria, “We boycott the elections, they threatened us with militias”, July 2, 2021
The Assad regime is besieging parts of Daraa Province in southern Syria, including an area of Daraa city, the site of the Syrian uprising of March 2011.
Enabled by the Russian military, the regime overran remaining opposition territory in Daraa in spring 2018. However, insurgency and violence has continued without pause since then. The Daraa Martyrs Office reported last week that there have been 1000 assassination attempts, killing 592 men, in the province since August 2018. Most of the attacks were on former rebels, whether or not they had joined regime forces. Gunmen have also killed scores of regime troops in attacks on checkpoints and convoys.
Russia and regime forces have surrounded and enter towns across the province, detaining the handover of weapons and of local men. Residents have resisted, fearing “disappearance” amid the deaths of 10,000s of detainees since March 2011 by execution, torture, or poor prison conditions.
See also Confrontation Rises in Daraa Province
Almost two weeks ago, regime troops laid siege to the Daraa al-Balad section of Daraa city, where the Syrian uprising began more than a decade ago.
Electricity, water, and the Internet were cut off to about 11,000 families in the district, reportedly after residents refused to hand over weapons.
The siege was reportedly tightened last weekend with the occupation of silos and cutting of routes east of Daraa.
Activists said regime reinforcements from the 25th Division arrived near the town of Jassim, north of Daraa, on Sunday. The troops took positions on roads leading to Inkhil to the east and Nawa to the south.
A demonstration on Saturday calling for the lifting of the siege:
