Elite forces of the 4th Division of the Syrian Army, aided by pro-Iranian militias, attacked anti-regime forces on Tuesday in a rebel enclave in southern Syria near the country's borders with Jordan and Israel.
The attack took place in the city of Deraa where fighting broke out in the beginning of the week. The city has an enclave, Deraa al-Balaad, whose residents have defied the Assad regime even though the Syrian Army recaptured the area about three years ago. Syrian military sources and local residents said that dozens of improvised missiles were fired by the Army into the rebel area.
The attacking force is the pro-Iranian 4th Division of the Syrian Army, which is backed by pro-Iranian militias. Fighting had previously been halted in the area following mediation by Russian generals who offered a plan with compromises and concessions by both sides, but the plan fell apart.
Protests against the Assad regime started in the enclave of Deraa al-Balaad about a decade ago. A Western intelligence source told Reuters that thousands of families were caught in the crossfire during the last few days when they tried to flee to the area of the Jordanian border, where the Jordanian Army is on alert to prevent a new wave of refugees from Syria. The Syrian Army announced that at least four soldiers were killed in ambushes by rebels during the fighting during the last few days.
The U.S. and its allies have expressed concern over the Syrian Army's attacks in the area of Deraa, which they said challenge Russia's pledge to maintain stability in the region.