Much of Syria’s south remains under the control of different armed groups [Getty]
Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra has appointed a new military commander to oversee the country’s southern region in a move aimed at reestablishing government control over the area and stabilising the security situation.
A former commander in Sunni Islamist group Ahrar Al-Sham, Binyan Ahmed Al-Hariri, has been chosen to lead the military in the southern Horan region, much of which has for years been under the control of different armed groups.
Horan stretches along Syria’s borders with Israel and Jordan, encompassing parts of Quneitra, Deraa and Al-Suweida governorates.
Since topping the Assad regime in December, Syria’s new Islamist-led government has been trying to integrate disparate rebel factions into a unified national army.
Last month 40 factions in the south agreed with the country’s de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa to surrender heavy weaponry and join up with the Defence Ministry.
Hariri’s appointment should also be understood within the context of Israel’s incursions into parts of the south, according to Horan Free Gathering’s Ayman Abu Mahmoud, who told The New Arab‘s Arabic language edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the move appears to be in response to the Israeli occupation.
Israel seized hundreds of square kilometres of Syrian territory in the days following Assad’s ouster, and is now occupying the UN buffer zone, Mount Hermon and parts of Quneitra and Deraa provinces.
Local reports claim that Israeli forces have begun building as many as six military bases on occupied Syrian territory.
Israeli forces are using the power vacuum in the south as a pretext to expand their occupation of Syrian territory, according to Abu Mahmoud.
In statements on Wednesday, Defence Minister Abu Qasra said the government is in discussions with some countries to pressure Israel to withdraw. He didn’t disclose which countries it is engaging with.
Al-Sharaa last week called on Israel to withdraw its troops and for UN peacekeepers to regain control over the buffer zone.
Abu Mahmoud said that the government has in recent days begun deploying units into some areas of the south but said that the military needs to strengthen its presence across the entire region and urged it to work with the UN to reestablish control.
Meanwhile, the government also reappointed the Assad-era culture minister Diala Barakat to her position.
