Deadly siege: Syrians trapped in Deraa after regime attacks

Considered the birthplace of the 2011 uprising, Deraa was attacked by the Syrian military and allied militias in July.

The southern Syrian province of Deraa has recently witnessed the fiercest fighting between rebels and regime forces since 2018. A subsequent ceasefire brokered by Russia remains shaky, while cut-off Syrians continue to suffer. At least 15 civilians were killed in an artillery attack by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces at the end of July when the Syrian military and Iran-backed militias attempted to violently subdue Deraa, considered the birthplace of the 2011 uprising. The primary reason for the renewed violence was the presidential election on May 31, in which the people of Deraa did not participate. While citizens voted in most of the areas under the regime’s control, casting their votes for al-Assad out of fear, people in Deraa organised a demonstration against the government at the Omari Mosque on the day before the election.