20,000 flee southern Syria as battle intensifies

Some 20,000 people have fled rebel-held areas east of the southern province of Daraa in less than a week due to intensified airstrikes and battles in the area.

Activists and a monitoring group said on Monday that the development began since June 19.

“More than 40 airstrikes have been launched since midnight on areas mainly held by rebels in the eastern countryside of Daraa province.

“Thus pushing more civilians to flee the area,” Rami Abdel Rahman, Head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told newsmen in Beirut.

UN mediator Staffan de Mistura, said against the backdrop of violence, he consulted with senior officials of several Middle Eastern and Western powers on arresting the situation.

He said the essence was also to revive peace talks in Geneva, but he did not give any hint of progress.

“Grave concerns were expressed at the ongoing military escalation in southwestern Syria and calls made for an immediate end to violence,’’ De Mistura said.

The meeting involved UK, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the U.S.

Activist Abu Omar al-Darawi, who is based in the eastern part of Daraa, said the strikes targeted Busr al-Harir, as government troops and their allies were trying to take over the village.

He added that civilians in the eastern part of Daraa were fleeing toward areas close to the Syrian-Jordanian border.

According to the Observatory, about 28 civilians have been killed since Tuesday when government forces and their allies intensified bombardment on Daraa’s eastern countryside.

The UN has warned that renewed hostilities could put 750,000 lives in rebel-held areas of Daraa province at risk.

Linda Tom of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Syria said the people who had been displaced, the majority from eastern Daraa, needed humanitarian assistance, particularly shelter.

In July 2017, parts of Daraa as well the neighbouring provinces of Quneitra and Sweida, fell under a “de-escalation zone” agreed by Russia, the US and Jordan.

The province, along with the city of Daraa, is divided between regime forces and rebel groups.

(Dpa/NAN)

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