Four Syrian soldiers have been killed after foreign-backed terrorists in Syria attacked army checkpoints in the southern province of Dara’a as escalating violence by the terrorists threaten a truce deal.

Dara’a, viewed as the region where the war on Syria began in 2011, was held for years by different terror groups.

In 2018, as the Syrian army advanced on the province, it finally returned to government control under a previous Moscow-backed ceasefire that had allowed terrorists to stay in some areas of the province that borders Jordan.

But since late July, the groups have staged attacks on government forces and residential areas from the city's southern district of Daraa al-Balad.

The government has deployed more forces to the district in ongoing efforts to allow civilians safe passage out of the terrorist last major southern bastion.

The official SANA news agency said that the attack by terrorists on army checkpoints in Dara’a killed four soldiers and wounded 15 others.

Last week, some terrorists began leaving Daraa al-Balad heading to the northwestern province of Idlib; as part of a new Russian-brokered truce agreement. However recent sporadic terror attacks have triggered an army response targeting the terrorists’ heavily armed positions; significantly undermining the deal.

A foreign-based Syrian monitoring group also claims that government forces had increased artillery attacks on Daraa al-Balad.

The monitor has reported an escalation in fighting as terrorist cells tried to repel an attempt by government forces to reportedly take some parts of the area.

Damascus now views the truce on shaky grounds because of the terror group’s violations saying they are undermining ceasefire efforts.

The original truce agreement would see around 100 terrorists leave Daraa al-Balad for northern Syria, with remaining militants surrendering their weapons.

More than 50 terrorists had already been transferred from Dara’a as part of the deal, according to monitoring groups, but there was no signs since  Monday that the evacuations would continue.

The United Nations said last week that the latest escalation had forced some 38,000 people to flee over the past month.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy with various terror groups wreaking havoc in the country since 2011.