Fighter of the Khalid ibn al-Walid Army in western Daraa
The US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the ISIS-affiliated Khalid ibn al-Walid Army reached a ceasefire agreement in southern Syria following intensive negotiations, the news outlet Nedaa Syria reported on June 27.
The two sides didn’t announce the ceasefire officially or reveal any of its details. However, it is clear that the agreement is aimed at countering the ongoing military operation of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies in the southern governorates of Daraa and al-Quneitra.
The Beriut-based news outlet al-Modon said that the agreement may allow some fighters of the Khalid ibn al-Walid Army, which are besieged in the western Daraa countryside, to join the battle against the SAA in the eastern Daraa countryside. However, these claims are yet to be confirmed.
Since the beginning of this year, the Khalid ibn al-Walid Army has launched many attacks against the FSA and has killed dozens of US-backed fighters in Daraa. From its side, the FSA coordinated with Israel against the ISIS-affiliated group and launched two failed attacks on its positions.
The agreement will likely fail, as the SAA and its allies appear to be only days away from capturing the entire eastern Daraa countryside. Once the battle starts in the western countryside, ISIS will likely take advantage of the chaos and expand in the remaining positions of the FSA, as it did in the northeastern Hama countryside before.
