Opposition factions in southern Syria prepare for major operation against regime

Informed sources told Anadolu on Friday that opposition factions in Daraa and Al-Quneitra provinces in southern Syria are preparing for major military action against the regime and Iranian militias in the region.

The anonymous sources said that the preparations coincided with the arrival of about 200 US officers and soldiers at the Al-Tanf base near the border with Jordan and Iraq, including a joint operations room for the Free Army factions and the American troops. A number of British officers have also apparently arrived at the Syria-Jordan border.

It is assumed that the operation will target Iranian militia sites in Al-Quneitra and northern Daraa, with the possibility that it will extend to Al-Badia. The sites are concentrated in the triangle where the northern Daraa, south-west Damascus and northern Al-Quneitra rural areas meet. This area includes towns such as Deir Maker, Deir Al-Adas and Kanaker; local residents call it the “Triangle of Death”.

The militias also have sites in the cities of Izra and Al-Sanamayn, north of Daraa, while militants of the Lebanese Hezbollah are stationed in Al-Baath and Khan Arnabah.

The US and Russia agreed to curb the escalation in the south of Syria last November, followed by the suspension of the opposition factions’ support facility in the region. The so-called “Al-Mouk Operation Room” was staffed by personnel from a number of countries known as the “friends of Syria” and led by the US and Britain.