Three former Syrian rebels killed in Daraa province

Three former Syrian rebels have been killed in the southern province of Daraa, which is under control of Bashar Al-Assad's force.

Syrian media activist Mohammed Al-Horani told The New Arab’s Arabic-language service that between Monday and Tuesday morning, the three rebels, who had signed reconciliation agreements with the Assad regime, were killed in separate incidents across Daraa province.

The body of one of the former rebels, who was working as a taxi driver, was dumped in the town of Tel Shehab after he was kidnapped and murdered by unknown assailants.

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Al-Horani said that the other two former rebels were shot dead in Daraa city by unknown gunmen. One of them had recently been working for the regime's military security branch in Daraa.

Daraa was one of the first areas of Syria to rise up against the Assad regime in 2011. It reverted to regime control in July 2018 as part of a reconciliation agreement between rebels and regime-Russian forces, after a punishing offensive by the latter.

Since then the region has been restive, with the frequent killing of ex-rebels and regime soldiers, as well as arrests of former activists by the regime - in violation of the reconciliation agreement.

Last week nine regime policemen were killed in Muzayrib in the west of Daraa province. The regime sent reinforcements to storm the town and capture those it believed responsible for the incident.

However, activists reported today that the regime had withdrawn its forces without entering the town, following Russian pressure.

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