Clashes began after the start of a government security operation against FSA insurgent cells in Al-Sanamayn and other areas in the Daraa governorate that have been active since 2018 after the defeat of rebel forces in the province.

One such town was al-Sanamayn, where a former Ahrar al-Sham commander, Walid al-Zahra, had returned with a band of fighters from around Daraa province originally from the city in 2018.

Al-Zahra and the group, Thuwar al-Sanamayn, gained notoriety as they carried out multiple attacks on army checkpoints and security centers during the ongoing insurgency in Daraa governorate.

[22] After Sanamayn was besieged by the Syrian military, the security operation against insurgent cells in the western and northern areas of the city began.

The Syrian Army faced violent resistance, with insurgents destroying a car carrying several soldiers with an RPG at the entrance to the western neighborhoods[24][25] and damaging a tank.

[30][26] The Syrian Army brought reinforcements from the town of Tal al-Khader towards the checkpoint, but were stopped by rebels, resulting in a tank being disabled.

[26] Anti-government fighters attacked and seized an army checkpoint in the Jaleen Housing district, a suburb in western Daraa, capturing four officers.

Fighters were also given the option to be transported to the rebel-held north of the country,[28] or to the Tafas and Bosra al-Sham areas, controlled by reconciled rebels and the Russian-backed 5th corps respectively.

[37] Major General Hossam Louka ordered the notables of Jasim to hand over the ex-rebels responsible for the attack on the checkpoint near the town.

Activists in the Daraa countryside expressed concern that the Syrian Army may replicate their strategy in Sanamayn with other towns in the Houran where reconciled rebels were present.

[34] The SAA brought in tens of reinforcements to the outskirts of the towns of Tafas and Jasim city, and placed artillery on the hills of Metweq and Om Horam.

On 18 March, Syrian Army reinforcements brought to Daraa governorate opened fire on former opposition commanders, as they passed through checkpoints in the town of Jaleen Housing, killing two and injuring one.

Two days later, violent clashes took place after gunmen from Bosra al-Sham attempted to infiltrate the province and attacked the town of Al-Quraya, where the two men were being held.