Sappers have started demining settlements near the Syrian city of Daraa and destroying ammunition seized from militants. Servicemen also take into account the information they get from local residents about locations of land mines, a representative of the Syrian army told reporters, TASS reports.
The Daraa province is located on the south-west of Syria and borders Jordan. The administrative center of the province is the eponymous city in 110 kilometers from Damascus. The province is often described as the epicenter of anti-government protests, as demonstrations started there in March 2011. Clashes between government forces, armed opposition forces and militants from terrorist organizations continued there until the ceasefire agreement was reacged in July 2017.
"Among others, we take demining requests from peasants living in settlements around the city of Daraa. We find bombs in fields even near residential houses. We transport munitions to special warehouses, and then take them for destruction or hand them to the Syrian army," sapper Mulyazim Muhammad Sami said.
Sappers also continue to work in the city of Daraa, whose downtown was destroyed by militants. Servicemen check ruins and underground tunnels for trap mines used by terrorists. After the inspection, construction workers start clearing out debris in the city center.
The situation in the province escalated in the spring of 2018. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, up to 40 percent of the province's territory was controlled by militants from Islamic State and Jebhat al-Nusra terrorist groups (both banned in Russia). In June the Syrian forces launched an operation against militants with the support of the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces. On August 2 the Russian Defense Ministry reported that all illegal groups in the area were destroyed and the Syrian forces regained control over Daraa's whole territory.