Syrian Army Declares 48-Hour Ceasefire with Militants in Dara’a, Reopening of Syria-Jordan Border Possible

Al-Hadath news reported that the Syrian army’s command center has declared ceasefire in Dara’a city which started at around midday on Saturday and will last for 48 hours.

Also, AMN reported that a meeting is yet to be held between the Syrian army mediators and militants’ representatives to draw up a proper format for the ceasefire and its terms.

According to earlier reports, Jordanian and Syrian governments have been in talks to reopen the Nasib border crossing directly South of Dara’a city.

Jordanian sources reported on Thursday that the Syrian army troops will once again seize control over the border-crossings as the pro-government forces are significantly advancing against terrorists in the Southern territories of the war-hit country.

The Arabic-language Ray al-Youm daily quoted the Jordanian sources as saying that Amman, with Russia’s mediating role, is reviewing the Syrian soldiers’ return to the border-crossings between the two countries.

The sources told the paper that a Jordanian coordinating committee is in contact with Damascus through Russian mediation to see how the Syrian troops can return and take control of Nasib border-crossing.

“The Syrian army troops are faced with no hurdle to take back the Nasib border-crossing, and Amman is also interested to see the Syrian army’s control over the passageway,” the sources told the paper.

Ray al-Youm went on to say that the opportunity to open Nasib border-crossing has been created after coordinated contacts between officials of the Russia-Jordan Joint Operation Room.

Jordan closed off unilaterally Nasib border-crossing two years ago when the Syrian army men pulled back from the region.

The Syrian Army troops had made significant advances against the terrorist groups and took control over a 105-km-long chunk of the borderline with Jordan regardless of the US-led coalition fighter jets’ presence over the region.

The sources said that the army units managed to push the terrorists away from 105km of the borderline with Jordan.

The army soldiers faced the coalition warplanes’ continued flights in a show of warning while advancing against militant groups at the border with Jordan, the sources said, adding that the US army further called on the Syrian troops not to approach the defense lines of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

The US army had announced that the Syrian forces are considered as a threat to the American bases and training camps of the US-backed militants in Southern Syria.

The Syrian Army troops started a large-scale operation against terrorists in the Southern city of Dara’a 10 days ago after dispatching a large volume of military equipment and forces to the city in the last days.

A source said that simultaneous with the dispatch of hundreds of fresh army soldiers and a large of volume of military equipment to Dara’a province, Hezbollah has sent a large number of fighters to the Southern province.

The source added that Hezbollah’s fresh fighters have joined the Syrian army men as the pro-gov’t troops have started a military operation to drive Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board) out of Dara’a al-Balad district and al-Manshiyeh neighborhood in Dara’a city.

After the start of the military operation, pro-gov’t forces managed to take back a number of districts in Dara’a province.

Local sources also reported on Wednesday that terrorist groups have dispatched hundreds of fresh forces to the Southern city of Dara’a to slow down the Syrian Army troops’ rapid advances.

The sources said that the terrorist groups have moved hundreds of their forces from Quneitra to Dara’a, adding that tens of military vehicles and a large volume of weapons and ammunition have been forwarded to Dara’a to stop the rapid advances of the army men.

The sources added that simultaneous with the arrival of fresh terrorists in Dara’a, the Free Syrian Army and Tahrir al-Sham Hay’at (the Levant Liberation Board) called on entire militant groups in Dara’a to stand united against the pro-government forces’ advances.