France condemns Syrian regime's brutal assault of Daraa

France has condemned the Syrian regime's "murderous offensive" of the southern province of Daraa, which has killed at least 15 civilians since Thursday.

In a statement issued by the French foreign ministry, Paris emphasised their commitment to the "the fight against impunity for the most serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights".

"France strongly condemns the deadly offensive launched by the Syrian regime with help from its supporters against the town of Daraa, one of the symbols of the suffering endured by the Syrian people over the course of the 10-year conflict," the statement read. 

France said that the recent attacks by the regime in Daraa show that without a credible political process that includes the entire country, including regime held areas, stability in Syria cannot be secured. 

"The only way to put an end to the Syrian tragedy is through an inclusive political process, based on the various elements of UN Security Council Resolution 2254," said the French statement. 

The Assad regime has been engaged in a siege and assault of the southern province of Daraa, which has previously entered into a Russian-brokered reconciliation deal with the regime in 2018. 

Under the terms of the deal, opposition fighters were allowed to travel northwestern Syrian, which remains outside regime control, or remain in Daraa and settle their status with the regime. 

Despite the agreement, the region was plagued by assassinations, kidnappings, robberies and smuggling, with many pointing the finger of blame at the regime and its militias for these crimes. 

The regime's recent assault, which was headed by the Fourth Division and Iranian militias, was met with a strong counteroffensive by opposition fighters, who managed to attack and secure a number of checkpoints in the region. 

On Friday, an agreement was reached between opposition forces in Daraa and the regime, that saw the later suspend their military assault, although a local source who spoke to The New Arab’s sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, said that the regime has little influence on the decisions of the Fourth Division. 

"The Fourth Division and Iran's militias are seeking, with everything they do, to control the border strip with Jordan, with the aim of carrying out drug smuggling operations with ease, in addition to achieving great economic gains," added the source.