<p>Armed men killed 12 Syrian soldiers in an ambush in the southern province of Daraa on Tuesday, a war monitor said.</p>.<p>"At least 12 members of the Fourth Armoured Division and the regime's intelligence units were killed in an ambush by militants," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.</p>.<p>The soldiers were en route to the al-Mzairib district in the rural west of the province to arrest a former opposition commander when they came under fire by militants loyal to him who sought to thwart his capture, Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman said.</p>.<p>"The militants attacked two military trucks and two small buses carrying regime forces," he added.</p>.<p>That sparked a gunfight that forced Damascus to deploy reinforcements to the area, Abdul Rahman said.</p>.<p>Russia-backed regime fighters recaptured Daraa from rebels in 2018, in a symbolic blow to the anti-government uprising born there in 2011.</p>.<p>State institutions have since returned, but the army is still not deployed across the whole province, the Observatory says.</p>.<p>Many former rebels stayed instead of evacuating under a Moscow-brokered deal, either joining the army or remaining in control of parts of the province. They were allowed to keep their light firearms.</p>.<p>Al-Mzairib is among the districts controlled by former opposition forces.</p>.<p>Since it came under regime control, Daraa has witnessed a spate of bombings and assassinations targeting regime forces, former opposition figures and civilians. Most of them remain unclaimed.</p>.<p>Syria's war has killed more than 388,000 people and displaced millions since it started with anti-government protests in 2011.</p>
<p>Armed men killed 12 Syrian soldiers in an ambush in the southern province of Daraa on Tuesday, a war monitor said.</p>.<p>"At least 12 members of the Fourth Armoured Division and the regime's intelligence units were killed in an ambush by militants," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.</p>.<p>The soldiers were en route to the al-Mzairib district in the rural west of the province to arrest a former opposition commander when they came under fire by militants loyal to him who sought to thwart his capture, Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman said.</p>.<p>"The militants attacked two military trucks and two small buses carrying regime forces," he added.</p>.<p>That sparked a gunfight that forced Damascus to deploy reinforcements to the area, Abdul Rahman said.</p>.<p>Russia-backed regime fighters recaptured Daraa from rebels in 2018, in a symbolic blow to the anti-government uprising born there in 2011.</p>.<p>State institutions have since returned, but the army is still not deployed across the whole province, the Observatory says.</p>.<p>Many former rebels stayed instead of evacuating under a Moscow-brokered deal, either joining the army or remaining in control of parts of the province. They were allowed to keep their light firearms.</p>.<p>Al-Mzairib is among the districts controlled by former opposition forces.</p>.<p>Since it came under regime control, Daraa has witnessed a spate of bombings and assassinations targeting regime forces, former opposition figures and civilians. Most of them remain unclaimed.</p>.<p>Syria's war has killed more than 388,000 people and displaced millions since it started with anti-government protests in 2011.</p>