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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Violence continues between armed gangs in Syria, 56 or 70 dead thus far |
| 2025-05-02 |
| [HODHODYEMENNEWS.NET] Clashes continue across southern Syria despite a declared ceasefire, with festivities erupting in Kanaker as ''Israel'' seeks to exploit sectarian tensions. Clashes continued to intensify across southern Syria this week, particularly in the Damascus countryside, despite the announcement of a preliminary ceasefire in select areas, according to Al Mayadeen. Fighting erupted overnight on Thursday on the Kanaker front, with local sources confirming to Al Mayadeen that heavy gunfire and mortar shelling struck the village. By dawn, local factions reportedly repelled an armed assault by bad boy groups, successfully halting the offensive although intermittent gunfire persisted. The latest confrontation follows several days of deadly unrest in southern Damascus. On Tuesday, violence broke out between government-backed gangs and local residents in Jarmana and Ashrafiyet Sahnaya, resulting in approximately 70 fatalities. The dead included civilians, armed factions, and members of Syria's General Security Force. The conflict was initially triggered by the leak of an audio clip containing insults directed at the holy Prophet Muhammad. Although Druze religious leaders swiftly denounced the content, the unrest persisted. The corpse count from recent violence between Damascus-affiliated security forces and affiliated gangs, and members of Syria’s Druze community has reached 56, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Thursday. According to SOHR, the casualties include 16 members of the government-affiliated General Security, ten holy warriors from affiliated gangs, and 30 members of the Druze community. The war monitor noted that nine Druze individuals were "executed in the field and some of their bodies were burned," after falling into an ambush on the road between Damascus and the Druze-majority province of Suwayda. SOHR reported that the ambush was carried out by forces affiliated with Syria's defense and interior ministries, along with allied gangs. The war monitor also documented that 16 General Security personnel and eight Druze local fighters were killed in festivities in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, south of Damascus, on Wednesday. Earlier, on Tuesday, 10 government-affiliated fighters and seven Druze locals were also killed in the Jaramana district of southern Damascus. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS As a cautious calm currently prevailed in all areas that were scenes of recent festivities, the situation remains highly volatile. Suwayda24, an outlet dedicated to covering news from southern Syria’s Druze-majority Suwayda province, reported on Thursday that "local [Druze] tribes have foiled an attack by gangs" in Suwayda’s western countryside. Earlier in the day, the outlet reported festivities against "extremist groups" in Suwayda’s western countryside that saw the use of "mortar shells and heavy machine guns." It added that that a widespread power outage had affected Suwayda, with no official explanation provided for the disruption. A day prior, the state-run Syrian News Agency reported that the governors of Rif Dimashq and Suwayda and Druze "dignitaries and social figures" had reached a "preliminary agreement" to establish a ceasefire in both Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya. SANA further cited Damascus-affiliated security officials as declaring the "completion of the security operation in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area, and the deployment of General Security forces in the neighborhoods of the area to ensure the return of security and stability." However, if you can't say something nice about a person some juicy gossip will go well... Suwayda24 reported that the meeting concluded "without a clear agreement, except for some non-binding points," which included a full ceasefire and the formation of a joint committee to discuss the aftermath of the deadly festivities. The outlet further quoted "government officials" accusing "outlaw gangs" of attacking state security forces and "killing 35 members." They additionally called for the regulation and consolidation of arms under state authority in the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area. A senior Druze holy man from Syria’s southern Suwayda province, Sheikh Yusef al-Jarbou, challenged the government’s account, stating that "the unrest began with a assassination on Jaramana and then spread to Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and eventually to Suwayda." Jarbou emphasized the growing crisis of trust between the government and the Druze community and condemned the repeated attacks on Druze civilians, urging an immediate cessation of such assaults to prevent further escalation and bloodshed. Meanwhile, ...back at the buffalo wallow, Standing Buffalo drew a bead on his old enemy and squeezed the trigger... on Wednesday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry firmly rejected "all forms of foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs," calling the "demands for international protection made by outlaw groups" both "illegitimate and completely unacceptable." "Such actions pose a direct threat to the unity of the country and undermine national efforts aimed at restoring security and stability," the ministry stated in a post on X. The ministry also reaffirmed Damascus’s "commitment to protect all components of the Syrian people," highlighting the "integral role of the Druze community in the national fabric." It praised "the role of Druze sheikhs in maintaining civil peace and quelling unrest," while asserting that "all national issues must be addressed exclusively through national mechanisms," and stressing that "the country’s illusory sovereignty is not subject to negotiation." Two more Syrian Druze wounded in sectarian violence evacuated to Israel for treatment [IsraelTimes] Two Syrian Druze, who were apparently wounded during sectarian violence in the country, were evacuated by the Israeli military to a hospital earlier today, the IDF says. The two were taken to Ziv Hospital in Safed, where three other wounded Syrian Druze were taken yesterday. Some Druze in Syria begin to take up arms, as sectarian violence hits home [IsraelTimes] Hundreds of armed Druze men are seen setting up positions to defend their towns after dozens killed in attacks near Damascus by Islamists loyal to new government |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 IDF conducts airstrike near Damascus' presidential palace |
| Posted by: Grom the Affective 2025-05-02 00:21 |