Terrorists Violate De-Escalation Zones Agreement by Shelling Syrian Army Positions in Dara’a

The sources said that artillery and missile unis of a terrorist group affiliated to the FSA targeted the positions of the pro-government forces in the village of Khirbet Qazaleh, adding that the army targeted the terrorists’ defense lines by several surface-to-surface missiles in retaliation for the FSA attack.

Other sources said that clashes erupted between the Syrian Army and a faction of FSA in Dara’a province despite the agreement on the establishment of De-Escalation Zones that has come into force in four different regions across the war-hit country.

According to a text detailing the agreement published by the Russian foreign ministry earlier today, Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed in a memorandum signed on May 4 to establish four separate de-escalation zones in Syria for at least six months.

The largest de-escalation zone includes Idlib province and adjoining districts of Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia provinces, AMN website reported.

The other three zones are in Northern Homs province, the Eastern Ghouta region East of the capital Damascus and along the Jordanian border in Southern Syria.

The guarantors will finalize maps of the de-escalation zones by June 4, and the agreement can be extended automatically if the three guarantor states agree.

The agreement envisages the halt of hostilities between Syrian government forces and armed opposition groups within the zones and the creation of conditions for humanitarian access, medical assistance, the return of displaced civilians to their homes and the restoration of damaged infrastructure.

The guarantor states committed to take all the necessary measures to continue fighting ISIL, al-Nusra Front, also known as Fatah al-Sham Front, and other groups both within and beyond the de-escalation zones.