Escalation In Daraa’s Tafas After Assassination Attempt On Former Rebel Commander

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On March 13, a failed assassination attempt targeted a former rebel commander known as Fadi al-Asmi in the town of Tafas in northern Daraa.

According to the SMART News Agency, the commander, who is originally from the town of Dael, was shot by unknown gunmen riding a motorcycle in Tafas’ town center.

Al-Asmi was a commander in the Revolution Army. The group was one of the largest U.S.-backed factions in southern Syria. The commander joined the reconciliation process in 2018. However, he was arrested by the Syrian intelligence, only to be released soon after.

Fadi al-Asmi

A day earlier, a militant who worked as an arms trafficker for the U.S.-led Military Operations Center (MOC) in Jordan was assassinated near the town of Om Elmiathin in eastern Daraa.

The assassination attempt led to some tension in Tafas. Some radical militants have been active in the town for about a year now.

The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) deployed large reinforcements around the town in the last few weeks. A delegation of the Russian Military Police, the guarantor of the reconciliation process in the south, met with local figures on March 12 to de-escalate the situation.

The SAA carried out a security operation against radical militants in the town of al-Sanamayn in northern Daraa earlier this month. The operation ended in a few days with a new reconciliation agreement. A similar security operation could target Tafas soon.

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• Syrian Army Finishes Its Operation In Daraa With New Reconciliation Agreement (Photos)

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