Syrian rebels take over southern city of Daraa in deal with army — rebel sources

Syrian rebel factions took over the key southern city of Daraa — which became “the cradle of the revolution” in 2011 — after they reached a deal with the army to secure its orderly withdrawal, rebel sources tell Reuters.

They say senior security and army officials serving in the city have been given safe passage to Damascus.

While Aleppo and Hama, the two other main cities taken from government control in recent days, fell to an Islamist-led rebel alliance, Daraa fell to local armed groups, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“Local factions have taken control of more areas in Daraa province, including Daraa city… they now control more than 90 percent of the province, as regime forces successively pulled out,” says the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources around Syria.

Daraa province borders Jordan.

Despite a truce brokered by Assad ally Russia, it has been plagued by unrest in recent years, with frequent attacks, clashes and assassinations.