An opposition enclave in southern Syria on Tuesday came under the fiercest bombing since the regime attempted to recapture the area a month ago, residents and opposition sources in Amman said.
Rocket attacks by the Syrian military and militias allied with Iran began ferociously on Tuesday morning but subsided by late afternoon.
The sources said the break in the bombardment was designed for Russia to try to convince Deraa Al Balad’s 400 defenders to surrender for the offensive to stop.
“The shelling and rocket fire were the heaviest so far,” a resident who gave his first name as Mutasim said in a text message.
“They seemed intent on wiping out Deraa Al Balad before the fire suddenly stopped,” he said.
Deraa Al Balad and surrounding opposition areas in the countryside have been a testbed for the last three years for a different Russian posture in Syria not entirely reliant on force.
It centred on allowing a degree of self-governance to opposition areas in southern Syria and curbing the iron fist of the regime.
The approach, diplomats in the Middle East say, was partly influenced by Russia’s desire to draw international reconstruction funds to Syria.
It was also meant to show that forced population displacement does not necessarily accompany the return of the regime, they said.
A tacit deal between Russia, Israel and the US returned most of southern Syria to the regime in 2018 as a "de-escalation zone" supervised by Moscow.
"The Deraa model did not last long," one European diplomat in Amman said.
Deraa Al Balad is part of the city of Deraa, the capital of the Hauran Plain and birthplace of the 2011 revolt against five decades of Assad family rule.
The Russian-supervised arrangements in the city collapsed last month after opposition fighters attacked regime positions.
The rebels said it was a pre-emptive strike to stop a drive by the regime to overrun the area and others in southern Syria.
Government forces attacked the city with truck-mounted rocket launchers on Tuesday, killing at least two people, anti-Assad activists in Hauran said.
The rebels in the district and in allied villages and towns responded by attacking several regime positions in Hauran with medium weapons.
The regime’s offensive is spearheaded by the Syrian military's Fourth Division, regarded as the best-equipped unit.
Arab security sources said that although Mr Al Assad’s army enjoys close ties with Russia, Iran has also forged close links with the Fourth Division in the last six years.
The unit is headed by President Bashar Al Assad’s brother Maher Al Assad, the second most powerful man after the Syrian leader.
An opposition source in Amman said Russia sent several officers from its main military base of Hmeimim on the Mediterranean coast to Deraa on Tuesday to renegotiate a de facto rebel surrender.
“The Russian tactic is to keep up the pressure on Daraa Al Balad to give up while trying to avoid a massacre,” the source said.
“It would not be in Moscow’s interest.”
Under a proposal floated by the Russian military over the last four weeks, a quarter of the rebels would be expelled to areas under the Turkish sphere of influence in northern Syria.
The remainder would have to surrender their weapons and submit to the authority of the regime.
The government’s offensive expanded this week to rural opposition areas surrounding Deraa, prompting thousands of people in opposition areas to flee towards the West.
Some families reportedly took refuge in the Yarmouk River Valley, which is near Jordan and Israel.
The displacement continued on Tuesday, with dozens of families reportedly fleeing the opposition town on of Jassem, 40 kilometres north of Deraa.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
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Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10
*November 15 to November 24
*Venue: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
*Tickets: Start at Dh10, from ttensports.com
*TV: Ten Sports
*Streaming: Jio Live
*2017 winners: Kerala Kings
*2018 winners: Northern Warriors
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
