File image.
Tensions are mounting between Syria’s Islamist-led interim government and Ahmad al-Awda, the commander of one of the largest armed factions in the southern governorate of Daraa.
While reports of disagreements between the two sides first emerged days after the fall of the Assad regime last December, the tensions materialized for the first time late on April 10 when clashes broke out between the government’s General Security Service (GSS) and fighters from al-Awda’s faction at the town of Busra in the eastern Daraa countryside, the main stronghold of the commander.
The clashes broke out when some of al-Awda’s fighters attempted to arrest Ahmed Al-Daroubi, a former commander of the faction who joined the GSS.
Al-Daroubi resisted the fighters and was reportedly wounded along with his brother and a third person in the subsequent clashes.
Early on April 11, it was reported that al-Awda’s fighters besieged a center of the GSS in Busra, arrested several locals who joined the force and enforced a curfew in the town and nearby area. The government responded later in the day by dispatching large reinforcements from the GSS to the eastern Daraa countryside.
The official Syrian Arab News Agency said that the reinforcements were sent “to maintain security and restore stability.”
Amid the confrontation, Israeli fighter jets and combat drones were spotted over several parts of Daraa, including the eastern countryside.
A leader of the rebel Youth of Sunna Forces between 2014 and 2018, al-Awda reconciled with the Assad regime following the 2018 Southern Syria offensive.
With the backing of Russia, al-Awda was appointed the commander of the 8th Brigade of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) 5th Corps, a formation primarily consisting of reconciled rebels. He became an influential powerbroker in Daraa. In 2021, he re-affiliated with the Syrian Military Intelligence.
As the SAA took heavy losses amid the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives, al-Awda and his forces defected back to the rebels to form the Southern Operations Room, which spearheaded the attack on the capital, Damascus, and toppled the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad.
Despite playing a key role in capturing Damascus, al-Awda quickly came under fire for his past links to Russia and his affiliation with the United Arab Emirates. Some figures associated with the new government, which is dominated by figures from the now-dissolved Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham group, even went as far as accusing him of planning a coup d’état.
Now, the government appears to be heading towards a confrontation with al-Awda. And while government forces have the upper hand on paper, Israel’s new policy on southern Syria could play in favor of the local commander.
Israeli troops invaded the buffer zone adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights in the governorate of al-Qunitra, next to Daraa, just hours after the fall of the Assad regime on December 8. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) also launched hundreds of strikes destroying much of the country’s military capabilities.
Initially, the IDF described its presence in southern Syria’s buffer zone as a temporary and defensive measure. However, Defense Minister Israel Katz later said that troops will remain deployed to nine army posts in the area, including one atop the strategic Mount Hermon, “indefinitely.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared later in February that southern Syria, including Daraa, must be completely demilitarized, warning that Israel would not accept the presence of the forces of the new government close to its territory.
While al-Awda has no links to Israel, an attack by the IDF on GSS forces in the eastern Daraa countryside remains highly possible.
An Israeli intervention, even a very limited one, could allow al-Awda to de facto take over most of Daraa and al-Qunitra. And with the Druze in the neighboring governorate of al-Suwayda showing no trust in the government, Syria’s entire southern region could slip out of control. It is important to note here that Netanyahu had also warned Damascus against attacking the Druze, citing their ties with Israel’s own Druze minority.
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the israelis will continue egging on fighting to further weaken syria.
so israel has set up 9 illegal bases in syria and use the word temporary to expand israel . settlers to follow . security zone is code for land grab . dystopian
the only way to get them out is by force. if syrians want their land back they need to learn taliban tactics to arttrition the zionist occupiers. they dont respect international law they dont respect syrian territorial integrity. and even winning a interantional court case against their occupation will not get the un to send observers or a force to eject them.
when assad was in power those zionist thugs were not there but that terrorist arsehole julani is giving them a green light to take what they want, what a lunatic.
why not? he always was a zio whore. the first thing he did in december was to destroy the syrian air defence system on the orders of his jew masters.
bro assad and julani love israel
julani and assad never attack israel
welche taktiken haben die taliban angewendet? grüße
bye bye qatar pipelines to turkey. it was clear