Syrian forces inspect city in Daraa province after cease-fire deal

DAMASCUS, Aug. 16– The Syrian army on Tuesday entered the city of Tafas in the southern province of Daraa for inspection, just days after a cease-fire deal was reached, a war monitor reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian forces started inspecting the areas in Tafas as part of a deal to establish a cease-fire reached on Aug. 13 between the…

DAMASCUS, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) — The Syrian army on Tuesday entered the city of Tafas in the southern province of Daraa for inspection, just days after a cease-fire deal was reached, a war monitor reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian forces started inspecting the areas in Tafas as part of a deal to establish a cease-fire reached on Aug. 13 between the Syrian military and delegations representing opposition fighters.

The UK-based watchdog group noted that the troops will depart after finishing their mission under the deal reached after the week-long clashes and shelling.

Activists said that the Syrian army agreed to the deal to halt its military operation in Tafas in exchange for searching the city to make sure no wanted people are still there.

Under the deal, the army will also establish a military post at the cement factory in the city.

The city has been a safe haven for rebel commanders and ultra-radicals like the Islamic State (IS).

A day earlier, the official news agency SANA reported that Syrian security forces carried out a mission in Tafas, killing an IS commander identified as Mahmoud Ahmad al-Hallaq, nicknamed Abu Omar al-Jababi.

Daraa was the birthplace of the Syrian civil war more than 11 years ago. The Syrian army entered Daraa in 2018 but some areas in the province have remained unsafe as security incidents often occur. Enditem