[NPASYRIA] A military source in Daraa governorate, south Syria, revealed on Monday, that the Russian forces issued a decision to freeze the activities of the Eighth Brigade outside the town of Busra al-Sham in the southeastern countryside of Daraa.
The headquarters of the Russian supported and pro-Fifth Corps Eighth Brigade, led by Ahmad al-Awda, is located in Busra al-Sham town.
"The freezing decision was handed over by Russian officers, who came from the Hmeimim military base, to Ahmad al-Awda, after a meeting took place at the brigade headquarters on Sunday," the military source told North Press.
The source pointed out that the closed meeting was strongly worded against al-Awda.
During a closed meeting in November, al-Awda called on the Russian President’s Special Envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, to seriously consider re-arming the brigade and providing it with medium and heavy weapons, in addition to recruiting local members from the governorates of Daraa and Suwayda to counter the Iranian expansion.
The source added that the reason for the Russian reaction to the leadership of the Eighth Brigade is that it crossed the lines drawn for it by the Russian forces.
In November, the forces of the Second Brigade intervened in the eastern countryside of Daraa and clashed with government forces there, without coordination with or informing the Russian Operations Room about that.
The military source indicated that the strong tone directed to the commanders of the Eighth Brigade, "may turn towards the possibility of permanently dissolving it in southern Syria, and assigning the tasks of the control in Daraa to the government forces." 
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