The former leader of opposition factions, Bilal Daroubi, has died from injuries sustained at the hands of a group belonging to the Eighth Brigade in the city of Busra in eastern Daraa countryside.
A correspondent for Enab Baladi reported that Daroubi died in Daraa National Hospital this morning, Saturday April 12, after his health deteriorated.
In the wake of the targeting of Daroubi by the Eighth Brigade, the Syrian Ministry of Defense dispatched a large military force to Busra al-Sham, the stronghold of the Eighth Brigade, demanding the surrender of those involved and the dissolution of the faction.
On Friday, the outskirts of the city witnessed heightened alertness from the elements of the Eighth Brigade and the Ministry of Defense, which led to the intervention of several leaders and dignitaries to resolve the conflict.
The parties reached an agreement that included the entry of General Security Forces to arrest the group that fired upon Daroubi.
The official account of Daraa province stated that the governor of Daraa, Anwar al-Zoubi, together with the head of the political affairs in Daraa, Mashhoor al-Masalmeh, and the security official in the region, Mohammed al-Sukhni, held a meeting with the Reform Authority to discuss a mechanism for the surrender of the wanted individuals from the city of Busra al-Sham in the best possible manner.
A separate statement was published by the Daraa province account on Friday, quoting the General Security Administration, announcing the achievement of an agreement between the security forces and dignitaries of Busra al-Sham.
The agreement stipulated the surrender of all wanted individuals, numbering four, without addressing the fate of the faction.
The General Security announced that it would enhance its security detachment in the Busra al-Sham area with additional security forces, supporting security measures and stabilizing the situation in the region.
Following reinforcements
The Syrian Ministry of Defense launched a military convoy comprising dozens of armored vehicles toward the city of Busra al-Sham, where the Eighth Brigade, formed by Russia in 2018 from remnants of opposition factions, is stationed.
A correspondent for Enab Baladi reported that the military vehicles entered the eastern Daraa countryside on Friday, April 11, while the Eighth Brigade forces retreated inside the city of Busra al-Sham.
The government issued calls through mosques in the eastern Daraa countryside for the surrender of the arms of members affiliated with the Fifth Corps which includes the Eighth Brigade in the region.
These events unfolded after an assassination attempt on the leader affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense, Basil Daroubi, in Busra al-Sham.
The rights activist from Daraa province, Omar al-Hariri, wrote on “X” that the responsibility for the targeting and arrest of Bilal Daroubi rests with the Eighth Brigade, whose members joined the General Security Forces weeks ago, prompting the ministry to deploy military forces toward the area.
Al-Hariri stated that dozens of vehicles and a large number of personnel gathered around the city of Busra al-Sham without the convoys entering the city, coinciding with negotiations in which the government demanded the surrender of those involved in the assassination attempt on Daroubi and urged the leader of the Eighth Brigade, Ahmed al-Awda, to dissolve the faction.
A military source within the Eighth Brigade, affiliated with the General Security, told Enab Baladi that the brigade assembled its military forces inside the city of Busra al-Sham and prepared them to defend the area against government forces.
The source, who requested anonymity for security reasons, stated that the mobilization by both parties coincided with negotiations aimed at reaching a peaceful resolution to avoid clashes.
He suggested that the parties were likely to reach a peaceful solution to spare the region from new military confrontations.
About Bilal Daroubi
The targeting of Bilal Daroubi ignited tensions between the Eighth Brigade and the government, being a prominent leader in Daraa province, with long-standing disputes with the Eighth Brigade.
A correspondent for Enab Baladi reported that Daroubi was attacked by members of the Eighth Brigade, resulting in his injury.
A leader in the brigade previously told Enab Baladi that Daroubi was injured in the course of an effort by the General Security to pursue drug traffickers in the area.
Enab Baladi could not verify the aspect regarding the anti-drug operation through an independent source, nor did the Syrian Ministry of Defense officially comment on the events.
In the past, Bilal Daroubi led a coup against Ahmed al-Awda in 2016 and managed to control the city of Busra al-Sham for two days, but al-Awda regained control over the city with support from the Yarmouk Army, which was among the opposition factions active in the province at that time.
After the settlement in July 2018, al-Awda allowed Daroubi to form a group under his authority in the city, which operated under the command of the Eighth Brigade.
After the Syrian regime’s collapse on December 8, 2024, Daroubi sought to form a military group separate from the brigade, but al-Awda did not permit him to do so, reigniting their conflict.
Over the past years, al-Awda has not allowed the formation of any military body in Busra al-Sham outside of his control and has prevented the al-Muthanna Islamic Movement and other factions from establishing a presence in Busra al-Sham after the city slipped from the regime’s control in 2015.