UN Chief calls for immediate cessation of army operations

The Syrian government forces have managed to regain control over several towns and villages in the strategic southern Dara’a Province and killed scores of remaining terrorists. Israel has raised alert level in occupied two-thirds of  Golan Heights, under its occupation since six-day war in 1987.

According to Syrian official SANA news agency’s Friday report, the army has retaken al-Herak, Rakham, al-Soura, Alma, al-Mliha al-Sharqia and al-Mliha al-Gharbia in Dara’a countryside.

The Syrian military’s engineering units later started combing the area in order to dismantle mines and IEDs planted by terrorists before they fled towards neighbouring areas. Army would continue its operations in Dara’a until the eradication of terrorism; a military official was reported saying.

A Syrian war correspondent reported that the army units secured the families in their houses and enhanced military points in the liberated villages and towns to use them as a launch pad for continued military operations “to eradicate terrorist presence” in the entire Dara’a province.

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Meanwhile AFP reports that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a new call on Friday for ‘an immediate cessation” to military operations in southwest Syria “where the government forces are attacking rebel-held areas”.

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN chief, said in a statement that Guterres is “deeply alarmed by the military offensive in south-western Syria and its devastating toll on civilians.”

He further said, “The secretary-general recalls that the southwest area of Syria is part of a de-escalation agreement between Jordan, Russia and the United States. Guterres calls on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law to protect civilians and facilitate safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access.”

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On June 19, the head of the world body made a similar call after Syrian forces began attacking opposition-held parts of Dara’a province.

Separately, SANA reported that foreign-backed militants in the villages of Um Walad, Jbib and al-Aslaha in Dara’a’s eastern countryside had agreed to lay down arms and reconcile with the Syrian government.

A Syrian military commander, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, stressed that the army’s gains had left the anti-Damascus militants with “no choice” but to surrender. “The terrorist groups are heading towards settlement and reconciliation,” he added.

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In another development, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the head of UN Human Right Commission, has on Friday, warned of a looming “catastrophe” in southern Syria as it raised the number of people fleeing a fierce government offensive to 160,000.

He said that there was a “grave risk that intensified fighting will see many civilians trapped”, condemning “[how] civilians in Syria continue to be used a s pawns by the various parties”.

Qatar based Al-Jazeera network, which has been allegedly supportive of the Syria’s rebel forces, reports, “With backing by Russian air support, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have retaken territory and continue to progress southwards where the last pocket of opposition remains”.

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Israel’s leading newspaper Jerusalem Post has reported that fleeing Syrians near the Golan have pleaded for Israel’s help. It said that a child held a sign reading “Assad, ISIS, Iran and Hezbollah gangsters are the heads of terrorism in the world”.

It referred to a video post, having a doctors’ speech along with a dozen men and children holding signs calling help from Israel and the US, saying they had been abandoned by the world. One of the signs requested that the UN forces return to their bases near the demilitarized zone between Israeli forces and Syria.

Jerusalem Post further reports, “Up to 60,000 civilians have fled fighting in southern Syria in the last week as the Syrian regime, backed by Russian airpower, has launched a major offensive. Thousands arrived at the border with Israel over the last 48 hours.” It further said that Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) has “delivered 300 tents and tons of food and humanitarian supplies for children on Thursday night”.

In another important development, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, in an exclusive interview with British Channel 4, on Friday said that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad isn’t just defending Syria, he is defending the entire region against terrorism.

SANA reports that Lavrov said that Assad is defending Syria’s sovereignty and unity, and on a wider scale he is defending the entire region against terrorism.

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According to Russian official TASS news agency, Lavrov also said that Moscow sets no artificial deadlines for the withdrawal of its troops from Syria as this process depends on the situation on the ground. He said, “We don’t like artificial deadlines. We have been consistently reducing our military presence in Syria”.

Speaking about the situation in southern region in Syria, Russian top diplomat said, “Some remnants o f ISIL (Daesh) are still there. Jabhat al-Nusra is still there. They are now preventing the deal on Syria’s southern de-escalation area to be implemented fully.”

On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia had withdrawn 13 warplanes, 14 helicopters and 1,140 troops from Syria in the past few days.

Russian has supported the internationally recognised government headed by Bashar al-Assad since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, politically with military aid, and since September 2015 through direct military involvement.