Damascus scrambles for more control in southern Syria
As the Russian-brokered Tafas agreement in the western countryside of Daraa between the Syrian regime and the Central Committee enters into force, the regime is now seeking to take over the towns outside its control in southern Syria before the upcoming 2021 presidential elections.
ALEPPO — Syrian government forces entered the town of Tafas in the western countryside of Daraa in southern Syria on Feb. 11, where they toured the National Hospital, the municipality building and some government buildings. They later took up positions in a number of sites inside Tafas.
The regime deployment in Tafas comes in line with a Russian-sponsored agreement signed between the regime and the so-called Central Negotiation Committee on Feb. 8. Under the agreement, former opposition fighters must clear government buildings they had taken up as their headquarters and hand over their weapons. It further provided that Tafas residents wanted by the regime security forces will be allowed to leave Tafas to the eastern countryside of Daraa.
The agreement stopped a regime offensive in Tafas as tensions had been building up in the past weeks between the regime’s 4th Division and opposition fighters.
One day after the agreement was struck, on Feb. 9, regime forces began searching farms in the south of Tafas as set forth by the agreement.
