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Anti-government militants in the southern Syrian governorate of Daraa have risen in support of al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies who have been conducting a large-scale offensive in the northern and central regions for over a week now.
The uprising began late on December 5, with a statement from the so-called “Revolutionaries and Free People of Hauran” calling on Syrian Arab Army (SAA) troops in Daraa to defect.
Reports of clashes between the militants and the SAA in Daraa and other parts of southern Syria began to emerge early on December 6.
In the western Daraa countryside, militants from the towns of Ankhel and Jassim attacked several checkpoints of the SAA, taking control of a fairly large area. Similar attacks and clashes were reported in the eastern countryside of the governorate, mainly around the town of the Ghariyah Sharqiyah and al-Jiza.
Meanwhile in the northern countryside of Daraa, a large attack targeted a key checkpoint of the SAA near the town of Ghabagheb on the M5 highway leading to the capital, Damascus. It is unclear yet if the town had fallen into the control of the militants.
Tensions were also reported in the city of Daraa and the border crossing with Jordan to the south, with many militants spotted moving there.
While militants appear to be making bold moves in Daraa, the SAA has not yet withdrawn from the governorate or nearby areas.
The armed uprising in Daraa came just nine days after HTS and its allies launched a large-scale offensive in northern and central Syria. The militants captured more than 800 square kilometers, including all of Idlib governorate as well as the cities of Aleppo and Hama.
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