Terrorist groups refuse to hand over their weapons, impede peaceful settlement agreement in Daraa Al-Balad

The peaceful settlement agreement proposed by the Syrian State in Daraa Al-Balad has been impeded after the terrorist groups again refused to hand over their light and medium weapons to the Syrian Arab Army, a condition that they had previously accepted.

 A field source close to the settlement process told SANA reporter that two days after the state opened a center for settling the legal status of gunmen, military service deserters and those wanted and for handing over weapons in Al-Arbaeen Neighborhood in Daraa Al-Balad, this peaceful settlement process witnessed several attempt to impede it by leaders of the terrorist groups. The terrorists violated the agreement and refused to hand over their medium weapons and the process was confined to handing over only some individual weapons, the source said.    

The terrorist groups are using the locals in Daraa Al-Balad neighborhood as hostages to make gains in the settlement process and as human shields in the face of any military operation that the army may resort to in case the peaceful settlement is foiled, the source added.

 The army had reinforced its presence in the vicinity of Daraa al-Balad following repeated attacks with rockets and explosive devices by terrorist groups on residential neighborhoods and army checkpoints in the city of Daraa. Reinforcement also came after the terrorists repeatedly disrupted peaceful settlement efforts that aimed at attaining security and ending the terrorists’ control on this neighborhood.

Hamda Mustafa