"Despite the efforts of the Center for Reconciliation, the humanitarian situation in the Southern de-escalation zone is deteriorating due to actions by militants. The facts of forcible recruitment of local residents into the ranks of illegal armed groups are registered," commander of the center, Maj. Gen. Alexei Tsygankov, said at a daily briefing.
Earlier this month, Syrian president Bashar Assad said in an interview that the scenario for the liberation of the south of Syria had not yet been determined, and that it could be either a peaceful solution or a forceful one, noting that there were no obvious results of the peaceful approach "because of Israeli and US pressure on terrorists in that region."
Previous month, local media reported that Syrian government forces have been redeploying Syrian army units from Damascus and other parts of Syria to the southern front. US State Department made a statement later that it would give a decisive response to a possible Syrian army's offensive in southwestern de-escalation zone.