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Rebel groups declare offensive on Daraa province in southern Syria

Xinhua, June 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

A coalition of 51 rebel and jihadi groups on Thursday declared the start of a major offensive to drive government forces out of the southern province of Daraa, a monitor group reported.

The offensive, dubbed "the Storm of the South," aims to take control of the entire city of Daraa and its vicinity, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Intense battles have been raging since Thursday morning in Daraa between government forces and an array of jihadist groups, which targeted government positions with mortars and heavy machine guns near the town of Atman in the countryside of Daraa, according to the Observatory, which says it relies on a network of activists on the ground inside Syria.

The Observatory said as many as 60 crude barrel bombs were dropped on different rebel positions in Daraa, which led to the killing of six civilians.

The London-based watchdog group said three Syrian soldiers were killed and three others snatched by rebels during Thursday's battles in Daraa.

Meanwhile, state news agency SANA said government forces killed dozens of terrorists who attempted to attack military positions in Daraa on Thursday.

Citing a military source, SANA said government troops killed 33 terrorists in the countryside of Daraa.

The jihadi groups, mainly the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, have been eyeing the full capture of Daraa, due to its location, less than 100 km from the capital Damascus and its proximity to Jordanian borders, where the militants are reportedly receiving supplies.

Meanwhile, the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen television station said it received information that commandos of the Syrian army foiled a wide-scale offensive on Daraa from different directions.

The report said the rebels have received orders from an operations room in Amman, Jordan to start attacks at dawn Thursday against the military positions in Daraa.

"The commandos received the reports and managed to foil the attack, backed by airstrikes against the convoys of the rebels," the station said. Endit