Homes Used by ISIS in Rural Daraa’s Jassem Face Retaliatory Demolition

Several houses and other facilities in Jassem, a town in the northwestern part of Daraa governorate, were damaged in recent clashes against pro-Islamic State (ISIS) cells in the area. Afterwards, local armed groups destroyed some of the houses and other facilities that the ISIS fighters have rented.  

ISIS has recently increased its presence in Jassem, with members renting local homes, farms, and poultry facilities. During this time, ISIS members assassinated several former opposition commanders, kidnapped people for ransom and stole private property. They also set up a Sharia court in the city to execute hardline rulings, even summoning some residents. 

Meanwhile, since September, regime forces have increased their presence in the areas around Jassem, threatening to enter the city and launch a military operation there. In the hopes of avoiding regime forces entering the city and the resulting violations against residents and their properties, local notables called on armed groups in the area for support. In October, these groups waged an armed security campaign against the ISIS cells in Jassem, destroying some ISIS-occupied houses. Regime forces did not participate in the campaign, instead surrounding the city and firing heavy artillery shells. 

Among the campaign participants was the Eighth Brigade, a local faction whose influence is concentrated in Busra Al-Sham. The group was formed under the auspices of Russia after the 2018 reconciliation agreements, which granted the regime control of the Daraa governorate. The Eighth Brigade is affiliated with Military Security, though it retains some degree of independence in making decisions. Local armed groups from Daraa’s western countryside also participated in the clashes in Jassem. These groups are affiliated with the so-called Central Committees, an umbrella group bringing together various formerly pro-opposition factions. 

More than ten ISIS members were killed in the clashes. Some blew themselves up with explosive belts, while others were captured. Most of those killed and captured were from te Daraa governorate, though two ISIS members who were killed were Iraqi and Lebanese. Several fighters from local anti-ISIS factions were also killed. 

City notables issued a decision on October 16 banning residents from leasing homes and land to strangers without a personal guarantee from the former. Those who violate the decision are considered ISIS members and will have their properties destroyed. 

Following the clash and as the city stabilised, armed groups destroyed more than ten homes that had been rented or constructed by ISIS members. According to a local correspondent for The Syria Report, the demolitions were a form of reprisal against ISIS and a deterrence against people falling for any financial temptations by the extremist group. 

For example, one ISIS member reportedly rented a house in Jassem for USD 400 per month, a very high price compared with other homes in the area. Members of the group also pay rent in yearly payments, which is unusual for the region and considered to be a small fortune by residents.

Another house in Jassem had been owned by a man living in Jordan for years. Unbeknownst to him, the man’s brother leased the home to an ISIS commander from rural southern Damascus, receiving the full yearly rental payment in advance, The Syria Report’s correspondent found. 

One of the destroyed houses in Jassem belonged to the wife of an Iraqi ISIS commander known as Abu AbdelRahman Al-Iraqi. The group had built the home after stationing itself in the city. A poultry farm on the outskirts of the city, which ISIS members used as a shelter, was one of the properties destroyed.

The most notable example of the retaliatory nature of the home demolitions is the home of Rami Al-Salkhadi, who was a Jassem resident and the brother-in-law of Abu AbdelRahman Al-Iraqi. According to The Syria Report’s correspondent, Al-Salkhadi helped ISIS enter the city and was found dead after the recent clashes. 

A farm north of Jassem that was used by ISIS as a Sharia court was also destroyed. The court was located not far from regime positions surrounding the city. Often, ISIS establishes Sharia courts before it announces an “emirate” in an area it controls. 

Some residents have compared the recent demolitions to the regime’s demolitions of formerly opposition-held properties in recent years. One resident told The Syria Report he felt that the destroyed homes were a revenge tactic meant to terrorise people rather than help them or provide services to address the difficult living conditions. 

One local armed group leader told The Syria Report that the demolition operations were “necessary,” as the owners of these properties had, knowingly or not, been partnering with ISIS by leasing to them. He added that the owners had abetted ISIS as it entered the city.