Daraa

Daraa () is a city in southwestern Syria. It is about  north of the border with Jordan. It is the capital of Daraa Governorate. Daraa had a population of 97,969 in 2004.General Census of Population and Housing 2004 . Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Daraa Governorate.  The people of Daraa are mainly Sunni Muslim.

The city dates back to the Canaanites. It was mentioned in Egyptian hieroglyphs at the time of the Pharaoh Thutmose III between 1490 and 1436 BC. It was known called as Atharaa. It was later mentioned in the Old Testament as Edrei. In 614, the city was sacked by the Sassanid Persians.

On 25 April 2011, the Syrian military launched a large operation in Daraa on protesters. More than 1,000 people were arrested and more than 244 people were killed.

 References 

Category:Cities in Syria
Category:Palestinian refugee camps