On November 12, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) 4th Division entered Karak in the eastern Daraa countryside following an agreement with the town’s locals.
Army troops entered the town with support from Russian forces. The troops were also escorted by fighters from the 8th Brigade, a unit of the Russian-backed 5th Corps that’s dedicated for former rebels who joined the reconciliation process in 2018.
After entering the town, 4th Division units carried out a series of raids in search for the local fighters responsible for the November 8 attack. Five Syrian service members were killed and two others were injured in the attack.
قوات النظام وبحضور الفيلق الخامس تفتش منذ الصباح مجموعة منازل محددة في بلدة الكرك بريف #درعا الشرقي ، كأول بنود اتفاق البلدة pic.twitter.com/WaK4BXT9zU
— ابو غياس الشرع (@aboghias1) November 12, 2020
#درعا
دخلت وحدة من الجيش إلى بلدة الكرك الشرقي برفقة عناصر من الفيلق الخامس الروسي لتفتيش منازل لأشخاص مطلوبين pic.twitter.com/40HV7DZzXw— ابو الهادي (@hI4ybyLNdCdM0K0) November 12, 2020
The SAA was planning to launch a full-on military operation in Karak. However, the 8th Brigade was able to broker a deal with the locals to facilitate the search for the perpetrators of the last attack.
According to several opposition sources, the agreement will see the re-launch of the reconciliation process in Karak. The town’s fighters will all rejoin the process.
The agreement in Karak is far from perfect. According to available information, all the perpetrators of the November 8 attack have already fled the town. The agreement, however, is a sign of better coordination between government forces and local fighters in Daraa.
