Prelude

On the night of 29 February 2020, two divisions of the 4th Armored Division and 9th Armoured Division moved from Damascus towards Sanamayn^[21] in preparation to storm the town.^[20] In the morning of 1 March 2020, Reinforcements from the 5th division's 112th brigade in Izra, the 15th brigade east of Inkhil, the 9th division's 43rd tank brigade and several pro-government militias arrived outside Sanamayn in preparation for the storming of the city.^[22]

Battle for Sanamayn

After Sanamayn was besieged by the Syrian military, the security operation against insurgent cells in the western and northern areas of the city began.^[21][23] Pro-government forces entered Sanamayn from several axes backed by artillery support from the 43rd brigade east of Bassir, and mortar shelling from the 9th division and 79th brigade east of the city. The rebel-held areas in north and west Sanamayn were targeted with rockets and missiles, damaging a mosque and several homes.^[22] Tank and mortar fire led to casualties among civilians. Heavy fighting took place, especially in the Al-Atoum neighborhood, with pro-government forces advancing in the area. The Syrian Army faced violent resistance, with insurgents destroying a car carrying several soldiers with an RPG at the entrance to the western neighborhoods^[24][25] and damaging a tank.^[26] Several pro-government fighters were killed, including a leader of military security.^[21] On 2 March, heavy clashes resumed in the city, coinciding with renewed artillery shelling by the Syrian Army.^[27]

Seven rebels were killed in the clashes in Al-Sanamayn,^[28] including their leader, Walid al-Zahra.^[19] Other accounts list the death toll for all sides in the city to be as high as 30 dead.^[20]

Clashes in the rest of the province

In response to the military operation in Sanamayn, attacks were conducted against the Syrian Army in the western and eastern countryside of Daraa. After a failed attack on Tafas by the Syrian Army, ex-rebels counterattacked,^[29] seizing the Tablin checkpoint between Tafas and the town of Da'el in the western countryside.^[30][26] The Syrian Army brought reinforcements from the town of Tal al-Khader towards the checkpoint, but were stopped by rebels, resulting in a tank being disabled.^[26] Tanks positioned in Tal al-Khader fired at the town of Tafas, killing three fighters.^[26][27] The town of Muzayrib was captured by reconciled rebels, who also took control of the Saeqa camp inside the town.^[26]

Anti-government fighters attacked and seized an army checkpoint in the Jaleen Housing district, a suburb in western Daraa, capturing four officers. Rebels elsewhere captured two soldiers of the fourth division in Al-Karak al-Sharqi and blocked routes west of Daraa.^[31] The rebels also seized Air Intelligence checkpoints in the towns of Karak and al-Joulan, taking several members hostage. Opposition loyalists set up roadblocks in Nawa, Muzayrib and Karak to stop army movements.^[29] A soldier was killed in front of his home in Daraa al-Balad by unknown gunmen and the bodies of three soldiers were found in the western countryside near Muzayrib.^[32][33] A group of opposition fighters from Jasim attacked a Syrian army checkpoint near the town, killing two soldiers and injuring several others.^[34] Demonstrations took place at the Al-Omari Mosque in Daraa al-Balad and in the town Bosra al-Sham against the operation in Sanamayn, with the protests in Daraa al-Balad being attended by an ex-rebel leader.^[26]

On 2 March, rebels attacked a checkpoint of the Syrian Army in Al-Sahwah with machine guns and RPGs, as well as the al-Hajjanah checkpoint in Hayt village west of the city of Daraa. Two Air-Intelligence checkpoints near Al-Harak and in an area between Alma and Al-Surah were attacked, leading to human losses.^[27]

End of hostilities

A Russian-brokered agreement was reached between the two sides on 2 March 2020. Rebel fighters in Sanamayn were to reconcile and hand over their weapons to the Syrian authorities under Russian auspices. Fighters were also given the option to be transported to the rebel-held north of the country,^[28] or to the Tafas and Bosra al-Sham areas, controlled by reconciled rebels and the Russian-backed 5th corps respectively.^[35] In return, 52 soldiers captured by rebels in the western countryside of Daraa were released.^[36][37] 80 fighters chose to stay in the city and settle their status,^[38] while 25 were evacuated to the town of Tafas.^[39][40] 21 rebels were evacuated on 3 March to Al-Bab.^[41] Upon arrival, four were sent to hospitals to be treated for injuries received during fighting, while the rest were sent to training camps near the city.^[37]