AMMAN- Syrian state vehicles, accompanied by Russian military police, entered part of Deraa city on Thursday to raise the national flag over an area held by rebels for years, witnesses said, leaving President Bashar al-Assad poised for another big victory in the seven-year-long Syrian conflict.
Cranes from the state-run Deraa municipal council erected a flag pole near the mosque where the eruption of large protests in March 2011 was widely seen as heralding the start of the conflict.
Government forces backed by Russia have recovered swathes of rebel-held Deraa province at the border with Jordan in a major offensive that got underway last month and has forced many rebels to give up territory in negotiated surrender deals.
Two residents contacted said word had spread the state appointed governor of Deraa province was expected to attend the flag raising ceremony in a hugely symbolic move that pro-Assad supporters see as signaling the end of the revolt is near.
For many of Assad's opponents, early peaceful protests about political freedoms and against authoritarian rule in a one-party system were violently repressed.
For the authorities, the protests, which began in Deraa, were instigated by Washington, Israel and former colonial powers and financed by Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar to force Syria to yield to Western pressure.
Rebels holed up in part of Deraa city are still in talks with Russian officers, with many of them aiming to secure safe passage to opposition-held areas of northern Syria, rebel officials said.
A rebel official told Reuters negotiations were proceeding smoothly, with the Russians so far abiding by the terms of a deal that includes weapons handovers, evacuation of rebels opposed to the deal and return of state sovereignty.
"Everyone is committed to the agreements," said Abu Jihad, adding rebels had already begun since late Wednesday handing over their heavy weapons.
A convoy of Russian military police was expected to enter the devastated area later on Thursday in the first such deployment inside the enclave where they were expected to set up observation posts and perform security deputies.
Rebels are pinning hopes on the Russian military police to prevent the army from taking revenge and entering certain areas after complaints of widespread looting and some arrests in other towns in Deraa province they have gained control.
"There is a guarantee by the Russians that the army will not enter Deraa al Balad," said Abu Bayan, a leader of a rebel faction in the city, referring to the name of the area.
Some 2,000 rebel fighters are holed up in the opposition-held part of Deraa city, along with their families. Many want to leave due to fear of how the government will treat them.
(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Tom Perry and Toby Chopra) ((suleiman.al-khalidi@thomsonreuters.com; +962 79 5521407; Reuters Messaging: suleiman.al-khalidi.reuters.com@thomsonreuters.net))
