# Daraa Governorate

Daraa Governorate (Arabic: مُحافظة درعا / ALA-LC: Muḥāfaẓat Dar‘ā) is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in the south-west of the country and covers an area of 2594 km$^2$. It is bordered by Jordan to the south, Quneitra Governorate and Golan Heights to the west, Rif Dimashq Governorate to the north and As-Suwayda Governorate to the east. The governorate has a population of 922,000 (2010 estimate). The capital is the city of Daraa.
Several clashes have occurred within the governorate throughout the Syrian civil war.

## History
### Syrian Civil War (2011–present)
#### Protests and subsequent clashes between Syrian government and armed civilians (2011-2012)

Civilians in Daraa began protesting against the government's authoritarian practices, which later prompted similar protests across the country. The Syrian government responded by besieging the city, which prompted some protesters to arm themselves. The escalating tensions eventually lead to the creation of the Free Syrian Army on 29 July 2011 by defectors from the Syrian army. Several smaller rebel groups were also created by protesters, which operated under the umbrella of the larger Free Syrian Army.

#### Daraa contested by Syrian government and rebels (2012-2018)

The Syrian government would begin an intense shelling of Daraa on 16 February 2012 in response to the Free Syrian Army aiding protesters. The Syrian army would later attack parts of the city with anti-aircraft guns in response to the Free Syrian Army reportedly controlling one district of Daraa, bordering Jordan. By February 2014, the strongest opposition faction fighting in the Daraa governorate would be the Southern Front, which is a loose series of military alliances.
Various offensives between 2013-2015 would see the Syrian rebels gain territory until 25 June 2015, where the Syrian army would wage their first successful offensive against the rebels. This was shortly thereafter followed by a second successful offensive, capturing the city of Al-Shaykh Maskin. This would later be followed by a successful offensive by rebel forces, recapturing parts of Daraa. After several ceasefires and minor offensives, the Syrian army launched a successful offensive to retake most of the rebel-controlled territory in Daraa. This was followed by a major insurgency between 23 November 2018 and 5 September 2021, with a minor insurgency following it. Due to the weakened state of rebel forces, several groups accepted reconciliation talks with the Syrian government.

#### ISIL Presence in Southern Daraa (2016-present)

An offensive by two groups allegedly associated with the Islamic State (ISIL) would see a cell established around the settlement of Nahj, roughly 9km away from the capital of Daraa. The Free Syrian Army would later recapture most of the lost territory, with ISIL-affiliated forces remaining in the Yarmouk Valley on the border with Jordan. On 20 February 2017, ISIL launched a successful offensive to capture Tasil. ISIL would remain there until the Syrian army launched an offensive to retake territory from both ISIL and other rebels. As of today, ISIL presence in Daraa is weak, with it only executing sporadic attacks.

#### Lesser fighting and sporadic reconciliation efforts between the Syrian government and rebels (2018-2024)

After the offensive which put most of southern Syria back into the Syrian army's control, several rebel forces would accept reconciliation talks. However, these reconciliation talks would restart several times due to clashes between rebel forces and the Syrian army. The March 2020 Daraa clashes resulted in a return to the status quo, with the 2021 Daraa offensive resulting in the Syrian government recapturing Daraa city.

#### Rebel resurgence (2024-present)

The Southern Front launched an offensive on 29 November 2024 to capture the entire Daraa governorate. On the 6 December 2024, the Southern Front announced a military alliance with various Druze rebel groups, creating the Southern Operations Room. As of the 8 December 2024, the Southern Operations Room fully controls Daraa Governorate.
On 23 February 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded the complete demilitarization of southern Syria in the provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Suweyda, and the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Syrian territory south of Damascus.
Clashes broke out in the city in March 2025.

## Demography
### Districts

The governorate is divided into three districts (manatiq). The districts are further divided into 17 sub-districts (nawahi):