Clashes displace civilians in Tafas as Syrian regime attempt to storm town

Residents of the southern Syrian town of Tafas have been displaced from their homes following clashes between regime forces and local groups on Thursday.

The clashes are a continuation of a confrontation that began on Monday after two regime members were killed and four were wounded when their vehicle was targeted in the northwest of Daraa province, where Tafas is located.

Acitivst Abu al-Bara al-Hourani, from the media activism group Horan Free League, told The New Arab’s sister site Al Araby Al Jadeed that clashes broke out in the morning, with Bashar al-Assad's forces using tanks to shell neighbourhoods after opposition fighters attempted to stop the regime entering the city on the main road.

اقتراب الاشتباكات بين عناصر ميليشيا الأسد ومجموعة محلية من مدينة #طفس غربي #درعا ، وحالة هلع وخوف بين الاهالي pic.twitter.com/CiCDoHD3tH

— الأخبار العاجلة 🚨 (@AjellT) July 6, 2023

A large number of residents have fled with their families to neighbouring towns and villages as a result of the regime shelling.

The regime also targeted the Al-Hal market with anti-aircraft guns.

The regime steadily brought reinforcements to the area through Tuesday and clashed with opposition fighters the day after. Several people including regime personnel and former opposition fighters were killed in Wednesday's clashes.

The regime also conducted a drone strike on Wednesday night on the house of Iyad al-Ghanim, a former opposition leader who had refused to be displaced by the regime to northern Syria two years ago.

But an end to the clashes appears could be nearing, as members of the al-Zu’bi clan have reached a preliminary agreement with the regime to ensure a ceasefire comes into effect between Damascus and former opposition fighters of Khaldoun Bedaiwi Al-Zu'bi, who was killed by the regime last year.

Tafas has witnessed many confrontations since the regime retook Daraa province from opposition fighters in 2018.

Insurgent activity remains high in Daraa, with assassinations against regime security personnel and reconciled opposition fighters ongoing. The Syrian regime and former opposition fighters have also fought the remnants of the Islamic State group in the region.