The name "Southern Operations Room" has emerged strongly on the Syrian scene. One day after its formation, Syrian factions under its banner managed to take control of the entire cities of Dara'a and Sweida in southern Syria, advancing toward Damascus to overthrow the regime.

The operational scope of the room includes areas in the provinces of Dara'a, Quneitra, and Sweida in southern Syria.

In its founding statement, the room indicated that it works to secure the southern borders and maintain security and stability, with its main goal being to reach Damascus and end the rule of tyranny.

 Who Rules the South?

The room primarily includes the Eighth Brigade, the Central Committee, and all local groups such as the Horan Free Gathering and local factions. These factions were present in Dara'a before 2018 as part of the "Free Syrian Army" and were later integrated into the settlement agreement between representatives of Dara'a al-Balad and the western countryside of Dara'a on one hand, and Russia under the name of the Eighth Division.

Since 2011, 120 factions have been active in southern Syria, comprising about 30,000 fighters who controlled vast areas, notably: rural Damascus, Dara'a, the Yarmouk Basin, Quneitra, and Sweida, as well as some areas adjacent to the eastern Jordanian border. Most of these factions disappeared after the regime, in cooperation with Russia, took control of the south through settlement agreements.

In the "Deterring Aggression" battle that started from Idlib, these elements shed the settlement garment and unified under the name "Southern Operations Room."

In Sweida, which has a Druze majority, local armed factions also announced their allegiance to the "Southern Operations Room." These factions include "Men of Dignity Movement," "Mountain Brigade," and "Sheikh of Dignity Forces," all of whose members are from the Druze community.

 Coordination with Leaders in "Deterring Aggression"

Sources in the room stated that "there is high-level coordination within Dara'a province and with other provinces (Sweida and Quneitra), as well as with faction leaders in managing operations in northern Syria."

According to the media activist in the room, Baraa Al-Awadat, "the room includes all factions in the south. Dara'a did not delay in joining the Syrian revolution since 2018 and maintained its revolutionary components under the name of the Central Committee and a section in the Eighth Brigade. Since the beginning of events in the north, there has been coordination between the south and leaders of the Deterring Aggression Operations Room, and an agreement was reached to start working in the south and forming the operations room, which includes local factions, beginning liberation operations in Dara'a."

He indicates that "the Southern Room consists of several parts: the eastern region, the city of Dara'a, and its west, where the Eighth Brigade controls areas in eastern Dara'a along with the Lajat area. The Eighth Brigade includes local factions from those areas, while the central city is controlled by the Dara'a Tribe Council, which governs Dara'a al-Balad and Dara'a Station. The western areas are controlled by the Central Committee, which includes groups from the Quneitra region, in addition to various groups without specific names for the Southern Room after names were abolished in 2018 following the settlement."

 What is the Eighth Brigade?

The Eighth Brigade in Dara'a province is a military formation established in 2018 after the settlement agreements that followed the Syrian regime's control of the southern region with Russian support. The formation primarily consists of former fighters from opposition factions who accepted settlements with the regime and is mainly based in the city of Busra al-Sham.

Since its establishment, the brigade has played a dual role in the area, sometimes coordinating with Russian and Syrian regime forces in battles against ISIS in the Syrian desert. However, it has also maintained a local character and a stance rejecting complete dominance by the regime or Russia. The brigade is led by Ahmed Al-Awda, who has shown flexibility in dealing with Russia but faced criticism for his ambitions and relative independence from the regime.

At the beginning, the Eighth Brigade received financial and logistical support from Russia, which bolstered its role as an important local force in southern Syria. However, relations soured in 2022 after the brigade's leadership refused to send more of its elements to camps in the desert to fight ISIS.

Ahmed Al-Awda leads the Eighth Brigade; he began his career within the ranks of the "Youth of the Sunnah" faction, one of the local formations affiliated with the Free Syrian Army and supported by the Joint Operations Room "MOK," which included Western and Arab countries in 2013.

Al-Awda successfully led his faction to control the city of Busra al-Sham after confrontations with Syrian regime forces and other competing factions until reaching a settlement in 2018.

What is the Central Committee?

The Central Committee in Dara'a is a body formed after the settlement agreements in 2018, comprising prominent figures from the region, as well as former opposition leaders, most notably from the Horan Free Gathering.

The committee was established to represent the interests of the residents of Dara'a and to monitor the implementation of the settlement agreements, which included provisions such as the release of detainees, settling the situations of those wanted for security reasons, and the return of essential services.

The Central Committee shared the role with the Eighth Brigade in containing extremist organizations; however, their relationship has sometimes been tense due to differing visions regarding the management of the region and the distribution of influence.

Among its prominent leaders was Sheikh Mohammed Jamal Al-Jalam, who was assassinated by unknown gunmen in 2020, with fingers pointed at ISIS.

 Sweida: Local Druze Factions

In Sweida, which has a Druze majority, local armed factions such as "Men of Dignity" have emerged as one of the largest and most important factions in the province, boasting a military organization and high-level coordination with other local formations.

The "Men of Dignity Movement" in Sweida is the largest independent gathering of the Druze community, established in 2014 under the leadership of Sheikh Waheed Al-Balaous, who advocated for protecting the Druze identity and ensuring its neutrality in the Syrian conflict. Its primary slogan was "Syrian blood on Syrians is forbidden." After the assassination of Al-Balaous in 2015, the movement underwent leadership changes, currently led by Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajjar since 2017.

In the province, there are also other factions, mostly Druze, such as the Gathering of Mountain Sons, Mountain Brigade, and the Conquerors. The alliance of local groups in the city formed a joint operations room amid recent events.

The task of these factions, as announced in a statement, is to "prepare specialized units to enhance security in the city and ensure its stability."

Materially, the movement primarily relies on financial support from members of the Druze community and is not known to have clear international or regional support.

 Stance on Al-Julani

A source in the "Southern Operations Room" does not hide its position on Al-Julani, stating that the room does not see Al-Julani as the right person to lead Syria. At the same time, the room coordinates with leaders in the Deterring Aggression Operations, especially from the Free Syrian Army leaders who were displaced from southern Syria to Idlib in 2018.