Three months ago, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and the civilian-led “National Defense Forces” (NDF) appeared to be on the brink of defeat inside the provincial capital of the Dara’a Governorate, as the Free Syrian Army’s “Southern Front Brigades” (coalition of 50+ rebel factions) launched their fiercest assault on the government-controlled section of the city.

For two straight months, the FSA’s Southern Front Brigades repeatedly tried to break-through the Syrian Arab Army’s defenses at the Al-Manishiyah and Industrial Quarters of Dara’a City; however, each rebel offensive was met with stiff resistance from the government forces, as they could not penetrate into the northern section of the provincial capital.

The high death-toll and little progress paved the way for the Free Syrian Army’s Southern Front Brigades Central Command to end this massive offensive in spite of the recent arrival of their allies from the Syrian Al-Qaeda group “Jabhat Al-Nusra” and many others who helped carry out suicide operations at the nearby rural town of Al-Naima to the east of Dara’a.

Now, it is time for the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) to strike back to recover the Dara’a Al-Balad Quarter of the provincial capital and its surrounding area outside of the city that the rebels use to wage repeated attacks.

According to pro-government sources, the Syrian Arab Army’s offensive will target three areas inside the Dara’a Governorate: the Dara’a Al-Balad Quarter of the provincial capital; the city of ‘Itman; and the northern city of Sheikh Miskeen that was captured by the rebel forces during last year’s failed offensive.

The Syrian Armed Forces have lost a significant amount of territory inside the Dara’a Governorate in the last 14 months; this includes the entire Jordanian-Dara’a border (Nassib border-crossing in June of this year).

If the Syrian Armed Forces were to recapture the provincial capital and its surrounding area, they will alleviate much of the pressure applied by the rebels on the Dara’a-Damascus Highway (Syrian Army’s main supply route).