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On May 20, 30 militants and their families left the town of Umm Batnah in al-Quneitra as a part of a deal with Syrian authorities.
The militants violated the 2018 reconciliation agreement and carried out several attacks on Syrian government forces. One May 1, the Syrian Arab Army, that was fed up with the militants’ radical behavior, imposed a siege on Umm Batnah after an attack that targeted one of its posts near the town.
The army threatened the militants with a security operation if they do not leave the town. Initially, the militants refused the army’s demands. However, they eventually agreed to leave after an agreement between the town’s elderlies and the army.
Three buses carried the militants along with nearly 70 of their family members to the Turkish-occupied town of al-Bab in northern Aleppo in the morning. A unit of the Russian Military Police oversaw the process.
بدأ تهجير 30 عائلة من أهالي بلدة “أم باطنة” في ريف القنيطرة إلى “الشمال السوري” الان pic.twitter.com/0CZZWI9vua
— همام عيسى (@humam_isa) May 20, 2021
#القنيطرة: انطلاق الحافلات التي تقل مسلحين من بلدة “#أم_باطنة” في ريف القنيطرة إلى الشمال السوري إثر التوصل لاتفاق لإنهاء التوتر في المحافظة.#سوريا_اليوم #سوريا pic.twitter.com/6zcgrTQC2o
— التغريدة السورية (@TheSyrianTweet) May 20, 2021
As a part of the agreement, Syrian authorities released the relative of one of the militants from jail. A second detainee is set to be released later.
The agreement in Umm Batnah will contribute to the security and stability of al-Quneitra. The governorate experienced several attacks in the last few months. Yet, Syrian authorities continue to rely on peaceful manners to resolve security issues there.
