March 2025 Daraa clashes

March 2025 Daraa clashes
Part of the aftermath of the Syrian civil war [1]
Date 4 March 2025 – 6 March 2025 (2 days) Location Al-Sanamayn, Daraa governorate, Syria [2] Status Syrian government victory
Belligerents
Syrian caretaker government	Assad loyalists
Commanders and leaders
Ahmed al-Sharaa Murhaf Abu Qasra Ali Noureddine al-Naasan Anas Khattab	Mohsen al-Haymed Ahmad al-Labbad
Units involved
Syrian Armed Forces General Security Services [3]	Mohsen al-Haymed's group [4] Ahmad al-Labbad's group [5]
Casualties and losses
8 security forces killed [6] [a]	9 militants killed [8] [b] Unknown
2 civilians killed [8] and 3 injured [9]

The March 2025 Daraa clashes began in Al-Sanamayn on 4 March 2025 between pro-Assad forces and led to the intervention of internal security and the Ministry of Defense.

Background

Some of the Assad loyalists are reportedly affiliated with Mohsen al-Haymed, who was a member of the Military Security Directorate in the Syrian Arab Army, ^[9] while others were affiliated with Ahmad al-Labbad, who formerly worked for the General Intelligence Directorate. ^[5]

Clashes had taken place in January 2025 in Al-Sanamayn between a group affiliated with Haimed and the Southern Operations Room. ^[10]

Timeline

Members of al-Haymed's group, after leaving a funeral, had engaged with gunmen, who were reportedly part of a group led by Ahmad al-Labbad. Three members of al-Haymed's group died as a result of the attack, while one member and a child were injured. General Security Services arrived to restore order, but al-Haymed's group opened fire, wounding one officer, which led to clashes taking place between al-Haymed's group and security forces. ^[11]

Eight security forces were killed in total, with three dying on 5 March. Two civilians also died. Nine members of al-Haymed's group died. ^[6]

60 militants were arrested as a result, ^[8] though al-Haymed escaped the raid. ^[12]

Notes

1. 3 killed on 5 March ^[7]
2. 3 killed on 4 March, 1 killed on 5 March ^[7]

References

1. "Syria ends military operation against al-Assad loyalists after days of fighting". Euronews . 10 March 2025. Syria's new caretaker government announced the end of a days-long military operation against fighters loyal to overthrown president Bashar al-Assad on Monday, marking the worst fighting since the years-long civil war ended in December.
2. "Syrian security forces reportedly clash with pro-Assad gunmen". Al Jazeera English. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
3. "3 Members of Syrian Security Forces Killed in Clashes with Regime Remnants in Daraa". Asharq Al Awsat . 6 March 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
4. "Iran Update, March 5, 2025". Institute for the Study of War. 5 March 2025. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
5. "In Syria's Daraa Governorate, Conflict Persists Despite Assad's Renewed Postwar Control". The Media Line. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
6. "Syrian Security Forces Clash with Armed Group in Daraa, 8 Killed". 963 Media. 6 March 2025. Archived from the original on 6 March 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
7. "Syria monitor reports 11 killed in ex-Assad bastion, clashes in south". Naharnet. 8 March 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
8. "Clashes leave 15 dead in southern Syria". Rudaw . 6 March 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
9. "Deadly clashes erupt in southern Syria following government raid on pro-Assad groups". The New Arab. 7 March 2025. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
10. al-Ashqar, Mo’ayed (5 January 2025). "Military Operations Command deploy reinforcements to Syria's Daraa". North Press Agency. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
11. "Security forces, armed group clash in Syria's Daraa". North Press Agency. 5 March 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
12. al-Jeratli, Khaled; al-Hashish, Mahjoub (13 April 2025). "Assassinations: A continuing phenomenon in Daraa". Enab Baladi . Retrieved 11 May 2025.