The village of Al-Jeeza in the eastern Daraa countryside endured a long night on Wednesday, August 4, after a large number of its factions and residents gathered to demand the execution of Fayez Abdel Nabi (Abou Saydra), a commander in the Artillery Regiment of the Southern Front, and one of the most prominent Free Syrian Army leaders in the province.
The situation erupted Wednesday evening, when a number of residents of the village of Al-Jeeza returned from their fighting positions in the area of the city of Al-Baath in the Quneitra province and passed through the main Al-Sheikh checkpoint in Daraa.
Al-Jeeza residents were surprised by a large group of Artillery Regiment fighters, headed by the regiment commander, who began firing at them, killing three and wounding others. Eight were arrested and held in the regiment’s prisons, according to Enab Baladi’s sources.
Later, fighters from the FSA-affiliated Yarmouk Brigade intervened and released the prisoners and delivered them to their families in Al-Jeeza in an effort to reduce tensions, while the village witnessed heavy armed mobilizations and a large convoy of factions formed to arrest Abou Saydra.
After midnight, the rebel leader went to deliver himself, accompanied by his brother, to the Dar al-Adel court in Daraa, which had not commented or issued any statement at the time of preparing the report.
With conflicting reports about the direct reason behind the incident, some sources told Enab Baladi that the targeted group, known as the Abou al-Maataz Group, had previously worked within the Artillery Regiment before defecting from it, with the regiment leader accusing them of working for the Khalid bin al-Waleed Army, which had been accused of pledging loyalty to the Islamic State group.
The Artillery Regiment is one of the most prominent formations in the Free Syrian Army in Daraa, and it is specialized in firing artillery and rockets. It has a large arsenal of artillery and rocket launchers, and has participated in most of the fighting witnessed in the Daraa and Quneitra provinces.
Tension still prevailed over the situation in Al-Jeeza, as the decisions and statements of the Dar al-Adel court around the incident were awaited. All stores in the village were closed this morning in mourning for its three residents.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.