FILE IMAGE: Sputnik/ Iliya Pitalev.
The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) halted on July 6 a security operation in the town of Tafas in the western Daraa countryside after a plea from the local Al-Zoubi tribe.
The operation started three days earlier, on July 3, with the aim of neutralizing ISIS cells in Tafas and nearby areas. The SAA surrounded the town and clashed with terrorists taking shelter there. Heavy weapons, including mortars and main battle tanks, were also used against the terrorists’ hideouts.
The decision to halt the operation came after a meeting between intelligence officials and leaders from the Al-Zoubi tribe, who denied sheltering any terrorists of ISIS.
On June 25, four Syrian policemen were killed and another was wounded while on their way to Tafas. The wounded officer was pronounced dead later. ISIS didn’t claim responsibility for the attack. However, media reports linked the attack to a cell of the terrorist group led by bu Tariq al-Subaihi.
Two days after the deadly attack, on June 27, Syrian fighter bombers attacked hideouts of al-Subaihi cell in the outskirts of the town of al-Yadudah in the western Daraa countryside. This was the first time Syrian airstrikes hit targets in Daraa since the governorate returned under full government control following a military operation and a reconciliation process sponsored by Russia in 2018.
The fate of ISIS remaining cells in Tafas remains unclear. The SAA will likely resume its operations if the terrorists refuse to surrender or leave residential areas in the town.
Despite receiving several large blows last year, ISIS continues to maintain a fairly strong influence in Daraa and other parts of southern Syria. The terrorist group’s insurgency in the region will not likely end without a large-scale operation by the SAA and its allies.
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