Syrian Army's elite forces arrive in southern Syria as major offensive looms

Sputnik
Fri, 01 Jun 2018 09:54 UTC

© Sputnik / Morad Saeed

Syrian army in Aleppo province

Government forces, particularly elite units of the Syrian Army, have been redeploying from Damascus and other parts of Syria to the southern front, where a major anti-terrorist offensive is expected to get underway in the coming days or weeks.

Another convoy of government soldiers and military assets arrived in southern Syria, Al Masdar News reported on Thursday.

"Scores" of troops, in addition to numerous technicals (pick-up trucks armed with anti-aircraft guns), arrived in the Daraa province, ahead of the Syrian Army's looming largescale offensive in the province.

The newly-arrived forces are from the Republican Guard - an elite unit of the Syrian Army, primarily tasked with defending Damascus - and a paramilitary group associated with Syria's intelligence apparatus.

Government forces are still mobilizing troops in the area ahead of the offensive, which is aimed at liberating the entirety of southern Syria, including territory near the Syria-Israel border and a number of border crossings with Jordan.

To minimize casualties, the Syrian Army is attempting to negotiate reconciliation and transfer deals with militants in the province, with helicopters of the Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) dropping leaflets calling on opposition forces in northwest Daraa to surrender.

Despite the US advising Damascus against launching a military operation in southern Syria, it seems such an offensive will begin soon, as a source in Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) told Sputnik reporter Suliman Mulhem on Tuesday that they will liberate "every square kilometer of Syria" and don't need permission from "America or Trump to eliminate terrorists in any part of the country."

Comment: MFA: Syrian Army doesn't need US' permission to attack terrorists

It's unclear when the offensive will begin, but, based on the Syrian Army's recent successes, especially in Damascus, we can expect a decisive victory against the militants, provided there isn't any foreign intervention, especially from Israel.

Comment: The 42nd Brigade (Ghiath Forces) of the 4th Division has officially arrived in the Al-Quneitra Governorate to lead the upcoming offensive against the jihadist and Islamist rebels inside the province.

According to a source from the Ghiath Forces, they arrived alongside their allies from Liwaa Al-Quds (Palestinian paramilitary) in the northern part of the Al-Quneitra Governorate on Thursday.

The Ghiath Forces were also joined by their commander Colonel Ghiath Dallah, who will also be leading this operation in the Al-Quneitra Governorate.

Both the Ghiath Forces and Liwaa Al-Quds will attack one axis together, while an entire Republican Guard Brigade will operate along a different axis inside the province.