Paris – Statement by the Syrian Network for Human Rights:
The Syrian regime army’s fourth and ninth divisions stormed al Shayyah area in the southern plains of the Daraa al-Balad area in Daraa city and the Gharz area in the eastern part of the city while regime forces in the outskirts of Tareeq al Sadd neighborhood and the camps in the city of Daraa were provided with armoured vehicles on July 27, 2021, under the pretext of setting up three military points in the area, a move related to the agreement reached between these forces and the negotiating committees on July 24, 2021, which stipulated the lifting of the siege imposed on the area about a month ago, in exchange for handing over some individual weapons to the Syrian regime, reaching a security settlement for about 200 individuals, and the setting up of three military points in the area. After fighters among the area’s residents thwarted the regime forces’ efforts to storm the area, the regime’s forces retaliated by shelling it with mortar and tank shells, as well as using heavy machine guns and opening fire randomly with these and other weapons, killing a civilian and injuring two children. As a result, a number of families were displaced from the area to safer districts in Daraa city for fear of regime bombardment and storming of the area.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights condemns the bombing of civilian-populated areas by the Syrian regime which fails to distinguish between populated civilian areas and military targets, resulting in the destruction of homes that threatens and forcibly displaces the residents of those areas.
The international community must provide immediate protection to the forcibly displaced persons, halt the causes of further displacement, and take effective steps to ensure the return of the displaced to their homes, by accelerating a political transition according to a strict timetable which must not exceed six months.