[NPASyria] On Wednesday, two people of a drug trafficking group were killed, one of whom was the leader of the group, by unknown button men in Daraa eastern countryside, south Syria.
A local source told North Press, "Fayez al-Radi [the leader of the group] and Musa al-Sharif were killed after being targeted by unknown button men riding a cycle of violence in the town of al-Taebah in Daraa eastern countryside."
"Al-Radi and al-Sharif hail from the town of Nassib in eastern Daraa. Both worked in a drug trafficking group," the source added.
On Saturday, the Eighth Brigade, affiliated with the military intelligence of Syrian government forces, launched a campaign against the groups of Fayez al-Radi and Ismael al-Qaddah, who are leaders of drug rings. The festivities reportedly killed four button men of both groups.
4 people killed in Syria’s Daraa for drug trafficking
[NPASyria] Four people were killed in festivities between the Eighth Brigade, affiliated with the military intelligence of Syrian government forces, and groups working in drug trafficking in the eastern countryside of Daraa, southern Syria.
A local source told North Press that Raed al-Radi, Odai al-Zoghbi, Ali al-Abed and Anwar al-Rifai were killed in festivities took place in the town of Umm al-Mayathin, in the eastern countryside of Daraa.
On March 6, military groups, belonging to the Eighth Brigade, raided a number of towns in the eastern countryside of Daraa, in search for people involved in the drug trade.
In 2018, the Eighth Brigade, which is backed by Russia, was established out of the remnants of the Shabaab al-Sunna faction headed by Ahmad al-Awda of the Syrian opposition during its control of southern Syria.
The killed people used to work for the groups of Fayez al-Radi and Ismail al-Kadah who are charged with working in drug trafficking, according to the source.
Hamid al-Mejareesh aka Abu Karem Mejareesh, a leader of a group affiliated with the Eighth Brigade, was also injured, the source added.
The source noted that the festivities calmed down after notables of the area intervened to prevent more casualties and material loses.
The Eighth Brigade seized large amounts of drugs that were found in a house inhabited by the members of Fayez al-Radi group, in the Umm al-Mayathin, the source added.
On March 4, festivities erupted between the Eighth Brigade and the Fayez al-Radi group. As a result, Muhammad al-Hariri, affiliated with Fayez al-Radi group, was killed.
Over the past years, this region has witnessed continuous smuggling of narcotics into Jordanian territory, as the Jordanian army periodically announces the seizure of quantities of captagon pills and other drugs.
Several international reports, headed by the US Treasury, accuse the Syrian government and the Lebanese
Hezbollah militia of running large drug trafficking networks in this border area, as well as other Syrian regions.Syrian Hezbollah militant found dead in Syria’s Daraa
[NPASyria] On Wednesday, locals found the body of a holy warrior affiliated with the Lebanese Hezbollah militias in the countryside of Daraa, south Syria.
Local sources told North Press that the locals found the body of "Muhammad Youssef al-Mazawi" with gunshot wounds near the town of Dael in the central countryside of Daraa.
The sources added that al-Mazawi is "a Shiite who hails from the city of Busra al-Sham in eastern Daraa and a holy warrior of the Lebanese Hezbollah."
Al-Mazawi had joined ranks of forces that fought against opposition factions when they attempted to control Busra al-Sham in March 2015.
He escaped like all Shiite people in the city after the opposition took control after a week-long battle.
It is not clear how he arrived in Daraa and was killed.
Busra al-Sham used to be inhabited by dozens of Shia families before protests erupted against the Syrian government in 2011. They all left with the government forces that withdrew after the opposition took control.
In July 2018, opposition factions and Syrian government forces reached an agreement, mediated by Russia, for the opposition-held areas of Daraa.
According to the deal, opposition Lions of Islam who agreed to hand over heavy weapons, were handed special cards to protect them from prosecution, and allowed to stay in Daraa. Those opposed to the agreement were forced to leave for Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...(HTS — formerly al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
Front).
Since the settlement agreement in Daraa, there has been unstable security amid constant liquidations. The region in southern Syria has witnessed a flourishing drug business and increasing ISIS sleeper cells’ activity.