Renewed clashes in the western countryside of Al-Suwayda and displacement of residents of Dara due to shelling.
The western countryside of Al-Suwayda Governorate witnessed renewed armed clashes last night, Sunday, May 4th, following the shelling of the village of Thaala with mortar shells and heavy machine gun fire, originating from the western side of the town.
According to "Syria News," local sources reported that clashes broke out between local factions stationed on the outskirts of Thaala and an unidentified armed group, leading to partial displacement of residents of the neighboring village of Dara, located west of Thaala, towards the village of Maliha in the countryside of Daraa, out of fear of escalating fighting.
As per "Suwayda 24 Network," citing a private source from Daraa, "non-local armed groups, coming from known areas, have been attempting to destabilize security in the region for days."
The source added that these groups "move around on motorcycles and cars, carrying heavy weapons such as mortars and machine guns, and exploit the overlooking hills to launch attacks towards Al-Suwayda."
The source also mentioned that these groups are spreading "inciting recordings intensively on WhatsApp, in an attempt to agitate the local community in the countryside of Daraa and stir up discord, especially after the recent agreement between the Syrian government and the elders of Al-Suwayda."
The source confirmed that the people of Daraa stopped one of these groups two days ago when they tried to gather near Al-Suwayda in preparation for a possible attack on one of the villages in the western countryside. Local residents told the militants that they "refuse to use their areas as a platform for sowing discord."
The clashes coincided with rumors circulating about a statement issued by the Southern Tribes Gathering setting a deadline until Tuesday at 12 noon to end what it described as "the siege on some neighborhoods." However, the same gathering later issued a statement denying the authenticity of the circulated document, describing it as "fake."
These developments followed the announcement by the governor of Al-Suwayda, Mustafa Al-Bakour, regarding the activation of local police work, in implementation of an agreement between religious authorities, elders, and faction leaders.
"Al-Suwayda Governorate" channel on "Telegram" quoted Al-Bakour as confirming that "all police personnel are from Al-Suwayda, except for the commander and administrators."
It is worth noting that the western villages of Al-Suwayda, including Haran, Labine, Thaala, Rassas, and Uray, have been subjected to repeated shelling with mortars for the past five days, resulting in the death of a civilian and the injury of 8 others, according to medical sources, in addition to the displacement of dozens of families to safer areas within the city.
