Regime-controlled areas in August 2024 | Nearly 180 fatalities in acts of violence…over ten infightings, assassinations and attacks…150 kidnaps and arbitrary arrests

Regime-controlled areas experienced scores of dramatic developments in August 2024, including an alarming escalation of violence, worsening living conditions, tightening security grip and ongoing arbitrary arrests.

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has monitored and tracked all key developments in regime-controlled areas in the past month, which can be summarised in the following main points:

 

 

Acts of violence leave many casualties

 

In August 2024, regime-controlled areas experienced an alarming escalation of acts of violence that left many casualties, where SOHR documented the death of 178 people across areas controlled by the Syrian regime and affiliated militias; the deaths are as follows:

 

 

Civilian fatalities

 

72 civilians, including six children and 13 women. Here are further details of the circumstances of these deaths:

 

• 36 civilians, including two children and eight women, were murdered.

 

• Four civilians were killed in indiscriminate gunfire.

 

• Six civilians, including two women, were killed in incidents of security disorder in Daraa.

 

• Three civilians were killed by regime forces.

 

• Five civilians, including a child, were killed by ISIS.

 

• Four civilians, including a child, were killed by explosions of old ordnance.

 

• Three civilians, including a woman and a little girl, were killed by SDF.

 

• Two civilians were killed by explosions.

 

• A man and a woman were killed in family infightings.

 

• A woman was killed in an Israeli attack.

 

• Six civilians died under torture in regime prisons.

 

 

Non-civilian fatalities

 

-62 members of regime forces and their proxy militias:

 

• 22 killed by ISIS.

 

• Seven killed in incidents of security disorder in Daraa province.

 

• 22 killed by rebels and jihadists.

 

• Eight assassinated by unknown gunmen.

 

• Three killed by SDF.

 

-37 Iranian-backed militiamen:

 

• Nine Syrian militiamen were killed in US airstrikes.

 

• Four Syrian militiamen were killed in Israeli airstrikes.

 

• Five non-Syrian militiamen were killed in Israeli strikes.

 

• One Syrian militiaman was assassinated.

 

• 18 Syrian militiamen were killed in clashes with SDF.

 

-Six gunmen:

 

• Three killed in incidents of security disorder in Daraa province.

 

• One killed by regime forces.

 

• Two killed in clashes with other gunmen.

 

-One ISIS member was killed in an attack in Daraa.

 

 

Kidnappings and arbitrary arrests

 

As regime security and intelligence services continue their repression, SOHR activists documented, in August, the arrest of at least 97 civilians, including a woman, as well as the kidnapping of 28 other civilians, including two children and five women.

 

A regional breakdown of arbitrary arrests is as follows:

 

• Daraa: 28 people, including a woman.

 

• Rif Dimashq: 17 people.

 

• Homs: Ten people.

 

• Deir Ezzor: 22 people.

 

• Hama: Five persons.

 

• Aleppo: 11 people.

 

• Al-Suwaidaa: Four persons.

 

A regional breakdown of kidnaps is as follows:

 

• Daraa: 13 people, including a child and five women.

 

• Homs: 12 people.

 

• Al-Suwaidaa: Two persons.

 

• Tartus: A little girl.

 

 

Crime rate is on the rise

 

Regime-held areas have recently experienced an alarming escalation of crime rate, in light of the regime security services’ failure to put an end to the state of disorder and rampant security chaos in all Syrian provinces.

 

The Syrian Observatory documented 31 murder crimes in regime-controlled areas in August 2024, where domestic violence and armed robbery were behind some of these murders, while motivations behind the others remained unknown. These murder crimes left 36 fatalities: two children, eight women and 26 men. The murder crimes and fatalities they left are distributed regionally as follows:

 

• Daraa: Seven murder crimes left eight men dead.

 

• Al-Suwaidaa: Four murder crimes left two men and two women dead.

 

• Rif Dimashq: Two murder crimes left two men dead.

 

• Homs: Five murder crimes left five men and a woman dead.

 

• Hama: Five murder crimes left three men, three women and two children dead.

 

• Aleppo: Three murder crimes left two men and a woman dead.

 

• Latakia: Two murder crimes left a man and a woman dead.

 

• Deir Ezzor: Two murder crimes left two men dead.

 

• Damascus: One murder crime left a man dead.

 

 

Daraa “the cradle of the Syrian Revolution:” Security chaos noticeably escalates

 

Incidents of security disorder, mainly armed attacks, in Daraa province continued in August 2024, where SOHR documented 28 attacks in different areas throughout Daraa province. These attacks left 17 people dead; they are as follows:

 

• Six civilians, including two women.

 

• Six regime soldiers, members and collaborators with regime security services.

 

• One individual accused of “involving in drug business.”

 

• Three members of local factions.

 

• One ISIS member.

 

 

11 infightings and assassinations and attacks target combatants

 

In August, SOHR documented one infighting and ten assassinations and attacks which targeted members of regime forces and security services in Latakia, Al-Suwaidaa, Deir Ezzor, Al-Quneitra, Homs and Rif Dimashq provinces. Those infightings and attacks left nine persons, including an NDF commander, two officers and a commander of a group affiliated to the Iranian-backed “Jaysh Al-Ashayer,” dead and others injured.

 

 

Ongoing uprising in Al-Swuaidaa

 

As residents from Jabal Al-Arab area continue their peaceful protests in Al-Suwaidaa, calling for toppling Bashar Al-Assad, applying political transition of power, enhancing the concept of the decentralization and implementing the International Resolution No. 2254, peaceful demonstrations staged in Al-Suwaidaa city centre on a daily basis in August.

 

During those protests, demonstrators chanted anti-regime slogans and lifted placards with slogans written on them, some of which read “from Al-Suwaidaa.. a Revolution for all Syrians,” “our peaceful approach is our way to salvation,” “the ideal state is the state of law and institutions, not a state of individuals and agents.”

 

 

Ongoing “settlements and reconciliations”

 

Dozens of civilians and combatants wanted by regime forces, in addition to deserters and those evading mandatory and reserve military service, headed to the Cultural Centre in Al-Baa’th city in Al-Qunaitrah countryside, which is under the control of the regime forces, to settle their status with the regime and have their names removed from the security lists.

 

According to reliable SOHR sources, the comprehensive reconciliation process begun on August 4 and lasted for four days. It is worth noting that the reconciliation process is supervised by the specialized authorities affiliated with regime forces in the city.

 

 

SDF besiege regime-controlled areas in Al-Hasakah

 

The Internal Security Forces “Al-Asayesh” lifted the siege off the security square in Al-Qamishly City after a week of the siege, removed the military equipment and allowed the entrance of vehicles and emergency materials, in completion of the implementation of terms of agreement with Russia that took place in Al-Hasakah City.

 

The Republican Guards Forces arrived to Deir Ezzor countryside today, to take place of the Fourth Division and deploy near bank of Euphrates River.

 

In a related context, “SDF” released the 20 regime soldiers detained by them, and in return, the regime forces released the members demanded by “SDF”, in preparation for implementing the rest of the terms of the agreement mediated by Russia.

 

The agreement to break the siege on the two security zones in Al-Qamishli and Al-Hasakah was facing the Fourth Division’s rejection of one of the terms mediated by Russia, which stipulated its withdrawal from the areas on the banks of the Euphrates River and handing over its positions to the Republican Guard of the regime, which impends the complete breaking of the siege.

 

 

Ongoing Israeli attacks

 

As Israel continues infringing upon Syria’s sovereignty, SOHR documented six attacks in August: five airstrikes and one rocket attack by ground forces. Those attacks destroyed nearly 16 targets, including buildings, weapons and ammunitions warehouses, headquarters, centres and vehicles, killed nine combatants and injured 14 others. The fatalities are distributed as follows:

 

• An Iranian advisor.

 

• A member of the Lebanese Hezbollah.

 

• Four Iranian-backed Syrian militiamen.

 

• Three Iranian-backed non-Syrian militiamen.

 

In addition, the Israeli attacks in August resulted in the death of a woman.

 

The Israeli attacks in Syrian territory in August are distributed regionally as follows:

 

• Damascus and Rif Dimashq: Two attacks.

 

• Daraa: One attack.

 

• Homs: Three attacks.

 

• Hama: One attack.

 

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has been all along warning against the repercussions of the crippling chronic crises and security chaos in regime-controlled areas and elsewhere in Syria, with only the Syrian regime to blame for the disastrous situation Syria is in right now. We, at the Syrian Observatory, call upon all international actors not to abandon their responsibility and obligations towards the people of Syria and urge them to find a lasting solution to the tragedy of millions of Syrians and bring Al-Assad, his affiliates and all those responsible for violations and those who aided and abetted the killing of Syrian people to justice.