Unprecedented escalation in Daraa today, which officially surrendered to the Syrian regime in mid-2018, but remains highly unstable owing to deals cut between rebels & Russia that allowed them to retain their arms & prevented the full control of the secret police over towns.

After the 4th Division & Military Security (secret police) stormed agricultural areas south of Daraa city & arrested wanted men, former/current rebels clashed with these forces. Rapidly & in coordination, rebels & civilians cut roads across the Daraa countryside.

In Masaken Jillin (western Daraa), the rebels took over a checkpoint of the 4th Division, arresting servicemen & 2 officers. In Karak Sharqi (eastern Daraa), the rebels stormed a checkpoint of Air Force Intelligence, killing several of the regime's fighters.

After negotiations through the Russians, the rebels handed over the corpses of those killed, but the captives remain in the hands of rebels inside Karak. The town is surrounded from 4 sides. A friend there tells me locals are terrified of the regime storming it.

The commander of the Air Force Intelligence branch in Daraa, whose fighters were killed is threatening the avenge his men. Negotiations will be held tomorrow in Daraa city between the regime & the 8th Division of the 5th Corps of the SAA, a force made up largely of former rebels

The captives have been handed over to the 8th Division of the 5th Corps, who are acting as the "neutral" party between the Karak rebels & the regime.
The Karak rebels are former members of the FSA faction "Division of the Martyr Ahmad al-Khalaf."

The situation in Karak remains calm. The Air Force Intelligence (mukhabarat) fighters are still in the hands of the 5th Corps. The weapons the rebels captured from the mukhabarat, including machine guns & RPG rockets remain in the hands of the rebels. Negotiations ongoing.

4th Division forces attempted to storm Karak al-Sharqi after placing it under a tight blockade. After some clashes (rebel in Karak claims they injured 5 of the invading soldiers), the 5th Corps (former rebels) entered the town to halt the fighting. Tense calm resumed.

Hundreds of 5th Corps soldiers remain in Karak, thus preventing the 4th Division from storming it. Essentially 1 unit of the Syrian Army is protecting the town from another unit. A small delegation representing the town went to the HQ of Air Force Intelligence to negotiate.

A small group from the 4th Division entered to search the homes of 17 wanted men in Karak, accompanied by a large group of 5th Corps fighters. The men left their homes prior to the search to avoid getting arrested & didn't keep any of the weapons at home.