10 killed in clashes between government, locals in Syria’s Suwayda
Suwayda, Syria (North Press) – Ten residents of Suwayda, southwest Syria, were killed on Tuesday evening in clashes between local armed factions and an armed group affiliated with the Syrian government’s Military Intelligence.
Earlier on Tuesday, Residents and local armed factions in Suwayda raided the headquarters of the Raji Falhout group, affiliated with the Military Intelligence, in the towns of Slim and Atil, north of Suwayda Governorate, after the latter kidnapped a number of the governorate’s residents.
A local source told North Press that “Mo’taz al-Taweel, Samer Makarim, Ra’fat Khaddaj and Nour-Eddin Khaddaj were killed in the clashes that ensued the raiding of the Falhout group’s headquarters in the town of Slim.”
In turn, the clashes also resulted in killing “six members of the Falhout group,” he said.
After the clashes, the headquarters in Slim fell in the hands of the local factions.
“The local factions moved to the vicinity of Atil to take control of the Falhout group’s headquarters in that village too,” he said.
He added that “Shahba Hospital requested doctors and nurses due to the high number of injuries it receives, and the lack of sufficient medical staff in the hospital.”
The presidency of the spiritual body of the Druze community in Suwayda, headed by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, “called through loudspeakers in the town of Qanawat, encouraging the residents of Suwayda to mobilize and confront the armed group led by Raji Falhout.”
Since Saturday, Suwayda has been witnessing a state of unrest amid continuous protests against violations by armed groups affiliated with the government’s Military Intelligence.