Government forces kill civilian in Syria’s Daraa hours after arrest
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Syrian government forces fatally shot a civilian from Daraa Governorate, southern Syria, on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after his arrest by the Air Force Intelligence branch, local sources reported.
North Press correspondent said that Bahaa Suhail Sayasneh’s family received his body just hours after his detention, with multiple gunshot wounds.
Sayasneh had been arrested near the village of Rakham in the northeastern countryside of Daraa.
Sayasneh and a companion, Awad Abu Naboot, both from the Daraa al-Balad neighborhood, were on their way to sell a motorcycle when they were detained. Abu Naboot remains in custody.
The arrest and subsequent death sparked unrest in Daraa al-Balad, with roadblocks and protests demanding the release of the two men before revealing the killing of Sayasneh.
Tensions escalated further when news broke that Sayasneh had been killed. In response, the government forces reinforced their positions in Daraa al-Mahatta and ordered shopkeepers in the area to close their businesses.
Sources indicated that Sayasneh was shot by members of the Air Force Intelligence branch and later transferred to their base in eastern Ghariya. He was then taken to Daraa National Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Initially, Air Force Intelligence officers refused to release Sayasneh’s body to his family. However, following intervention by the Central Committee in Daraa, the body was eventually handed over, while Abu Naboot was transferred to Damascus.
Daraa region has been plagued by ongoing security instability, with daily incidents of targeted killings, arrests, and violence occurring without due process, resulting in frequent casualties.