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In southern Syria, a powerful group does not want to give up its weapons
In the south of Syria, a powerful group which controls the Daraa region has not ruled out joining the Ministry of Defense but says it wants to keep its weapons, after the decision of the new authorities to dissolve the armed formations. of an offensive launched from northern Syria, a coalition led by the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took power on December 8, ousting President Bashar al-Assad. The new authorities announced the December 25 an agreement with armed groups for their dissolution, affirming that they would be integrated into the Ministry of Defense. “We are not convinced by the idea of the dissolution of armed groups”, tells AFP the colonel Nassim Abou Orra, spokesperson for the “Southern Operations Chamber” which brings together the forces controlling the Deraa region. This former officer in Assad’s army defected in 2012, when the repression of demonstrations pro-democracy turned into a civil war which left more than half a million dead and divided the vast country into zones of influence. “We are an organized force in the south (…) led by officers who have served defection” from the army, he explained to AFP during an interview in Bosra, in southern Syria. “We have weapons, heavy equipment, we can be integrated into the ministry of Defense (but) as a military body” keeping its integrity, he adds. According to him, the “Southern Operations Chamber” brings together the forces led by a local leader, Ahmad al-Audeh, who number “thousands of men”, with no Islamist affiliation. – “Some coordination” -Mr. Audeh is known for its good relations with Russia but also maintains ties with neighboring Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, according to sources close to his party. Russia oversaw a deal in 2018 that allowed regime forces to retake theoretically control of the province of Deraa, cradle of the uprising in 2011, but which allowed the rebels to keep their weapons. The fighters of the “Southern Operations Chamber” were “the first to enter in Damascus at dawn” on December 8, says the spokesperson. The coalition led by HTS launched a lightning offensive at the end of November from northern Syria, which allowed it to take the city of Aleppo (north) , then descend towards the south by seizing Hama and Homs (center). “When military operations began in the north with the liberation of Aleppo, we (…) decided to start liberating the south of Syria to reach Damascus”, says Colonel Abou Orra. The officer specifies that these forces had developed their own military plans while maintaining “a certain coordination” with the fighters from the north. Witnesses told AFP that they had seen the men of Ahmad al-Audeh, recognizable by their tied turban, particular to their region, deployed around the Central Bank and in several districts of the capital. “It was chaos but we were able to briefly take control of vital institutions to ensure their protection,” said the chief military, known as Abu Hossam. – Contacts with foreign countries – The spokesperson added that his men had for a time provided security for several embassies, notably those of Egypt and Jordan, and led diplomats in station in Damascus in a large hotel in the capital to shelter them. They also favored the safe passage of Jordanian diplomats to the border of their country. This initiative came at the request of “several foreign countries” having called its leader, he said without further details. When the forces led by HTS arrived in Damascus on the afternoon of December 8, the southern fighters feared “chaos or armed clashes” with them and returned to Deraa, says the officer. Two days later, Mr. Audeh met with the country’s new leader, Ahmad al-Chareh. But he did not take part in the meeting that he chaired on December 25 with the leaders of several armed groups who said they accepted being dissolved.at/vl
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