(Previous Incident Code: R4356)

Between one and six civilians were killed and others were wounded in alleged Russian or regime strikes on Daraa al-Balad on July 29, 2021.

According to Syria TV, “the death toll of civilians as a result of the bombing of the neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad by the regime forces has risen to two after the death of the young man, Yazan Adnan al-Mutlaq al-Muhaisen al-Mahamid, was confirmed. This morning, shelling the besieged neighborhoods of Daraa al-Balad with artillery and high-explosive “elephant” missiles killed the young Ahmed Farhan Aktifan.”

Ikhwan Online posted on their Facebook that Issam Muhammad Al-Masri was also killed in Daraa al-Balad.

Al-Majs Agency reported that only one civilian was killed and others were injured. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights identified “a man and a child” as being killed in Daraa al-Balad. Horan Free Media gave the toll as “6 martyrs and the fall of many civilians wounded” and @freedom4daraa reported that five civilians were killed.

A tweet from @freedom4daraa identified Muhammad Yusuf al-Mahamid as also being killed in the strikes but classified him as a “fighter”.

Syria TV also reported that others were wounded and “the people of the neighborhood issued a distress call for the lack of any first aid materials after the closure of the only medical point in the neighborhood yesterday, as a result of being targeted by the “Fourth Division” snipers.” @shaimaalshariif added that the medical point had previously been targeted by Russian/Iranian forces.

The strikes came after “the negotiating committees in Daraa al-Balad submitted a final proposal to the Assad regime, threatening in the event of its rejection of displacement or war and confrontation, after a meeting held between the negotiating committees and representatives from the “Eighth Brigade” of the “Fifth Corps” linked to Russia”, reported Syria TV.

A source told Al Hurra that “artillery, missile and mortar shelling are still continuing on neighborhoods in which nearly 50,000 civilians live” at the time of reporting. Al Rafidin reported that “regime forces are trying to storm Daraa al-Balad from three axes, while the people of the area are confronting them, as violent clashes are taking place amid intense artillery shelling that targets houses and roads in the city”.

The majority of sources identified the strikes as being carried out by the regime. However, Syrian Civil Defense attributed strikes across Dara’a as being from regime and Russian forces.

Baladi News and other sources identified “elephant missiles” and/or surface to surface missiles as being used in the strikes.