The provincial police issued a statement announcing that the attack was carried out by unidentified irregulars using automatic weapons against the house of the head of the Department of Agriculture in the aforementioned town, where the victims were gathered.

Among the dead is Kamal al-Atmah, the former secretary of the ruling Baath party in the province. Two women and a child were wounded and were taken to hospital.

Activists and the media reported a notable increase in assassinations and attacks against soldiers and prominent social figures in Deraa, the last one was last Sunday when a bomb caused the death of an army colonel.

According to analysts, the extremists that commit these acts intend to disturb the results of the reconciliation process in this province, which reinforced the presence of state institutions in the territory.

pgh/llp/mem/fm