Aljazeera.net correspondents

DaraaBrigadier General Louay Al-Ali, head of the Syrian regime’s Military Security Branch in the province, threatened… DaraaA few days ago, the residents of one of the towns of the governorate located in the south Syria In a scenario similar to what is happening in Gaza.

Al-Ali's threat came during his meeting with dignitaries of the town of Muhajjah in the northern countryside of Daraa, two days after clashes broke out between local gunmen from the town and an armed group working for the Military Security Branch.

Al-Ali demanded that the town's dignitaries hand over the fighters who attacked the military group, along with their weapons, within 48 hours, otherwise the town would face a fate similar to that faced by Gaza in Palestine From a devastating Israeli attack, after being besieged and bombarded by artillery.

The fighters rejected Al-Ali's demands during their meeting with the town's dignitaries, and confirmed that they were ready to confront the regime elements if the threat to launch a military operation was carried out.

The clashes resulted in deaths and injuries on both sides, as the regime allowed members of the group affiliated with the Military Security Branch to use its points to target local elements, in addition to transporting the group’s wounded to nearby hospitals.

The attack came after several violations attributed to the group’s members, most notably: kidnapping with the aim of obtaining a ransom in exchange for releasing the kidnapped person, imposing sums of money on shop owners in the town, in addition to the ongoing threats of arrest against wanted residents of the town.

Refuse mediation

The leaders of the Eighth Brigade of the Military Intelligence Division communicated with both parties and requested intervention as a third party to reach a solution that would spare the town any military operation that might lead to the killing of dozens.

The people of the town of Muhajjah agreed to the proposal of the Eighth Brigade, while the regime rejected its proposal and requested that no one interfere, which prompted the leaders of the Eighth Brigade to announce their support for the people of the town of Muhajjah and their support for any decision taken by them.

The Eighth Brigade is one of the most prominent formations in southern Syria, and was formed with Russian support after the settlement agreement in 2018. It previously included hundreds of opposition members, but its affiliation was transferred to the Military Intelligence Division after the noticeable decline in the Russian role in the region.

(Y.Kh), a journalist activist in Daraa Governorate, told Al Jazeera Net that the threats will have no effect on the ground in the coming days, “and they are just threats.”

He added that the head of the Military Security Branch, Louay Al-Ali, will not launch a military operation in the town of Muhajjah for the sake of elements working for the branch he heads, who are from the town and whom he considers a tool to implement his orders of killing, kidnapping and creating an unsafe environment in the region.

He pointed out that Al-Ali was keen to include groups of former fighters in the ranks of the opposition factions in every region of Daraa Governorate, and to work for the Military Security Branch with unlimited powers, but the matter had never reached the point of launching a military operation in exchange for defending any of these groups.

He considered that the threat is nothing but a message to all these groups working under his command that he will work to besiege and bombard any area where they are subjected to harassment or armed attacks, such as what happened in the town of Muhajja in the northern countryside of Daraa.

A.M., an activist in Daraa Governorate, fears that the threats will become a reality, and what that means in terms of civilian casualties and displacement.

He stressed that Al-Ali's threats have not yet been translated into reality, despite the fact that the deadline given to the fighters to surrender themselves and their weapons has expired, while there are many military points around the town of Muhajja, the most prominent of which is “Tal Al-Muqdad”, which contains heavy machinery and dozens of elements.

The activist added that if Al-Ali decided to launch a military operation on the town, it would be easy to bring reinforcements to its surroundings and besiege it within hours.