Sweida: Israeli Airstrikes Cause Dozens of Casualties Including Security Personnel

SadaNews - More than 200 people have been killed due to armed clashes in the Sweida governorate in southern Syria since Sunday morning, including members of the security forces who were martyred in Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli army announced that it attacked military vehicles belonging to the Syrian security forces in Sweida, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, "under the direction of the political level".

 

Syrian media reported shortly after midnight on Tuesday-Wednesday that Israeli aircraft targeted the 52nd Brigade east of Daraa and the vicinity of Thaala Airport in the countryside of Sweida, as well as sites within the governorate, indicating that there were casualties among the Syrian security forces as a result of the Israeli strikes.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israeli warplanes carried out strikes on the Thaala and Shaqarawiyah road in the countryside of Sweida and on the 52nd Brigade in Harak in the Daraa countryside, directly targeting sites where Syrian Ministry of Defense forces were stationed, leading to human losses.

According to the latest toll announced by the Syrian Observatory, the number of casualties from the clashes in Sweida has risen to 203, including 71 from the governorate itself, among them 4 children and 2 women, as well as 93 from the Ministry of Defense and public security and 18 from the Bedouin tribes.

Dozens of residents from the occupied Golan Heights crossed the border into Syrian territory, while the Israeli army announced that it was working to return them.

Clashes are still ongoing in some neighborhoods of the city of Sweida, amid intensive efforts by the government in coordination with the elders and dignitaries of Sweida to regain full control and establish permanent security and stability, according to the Syrian Ministry of Interior on Tuesday evening.

The Syrian Interior Ministry stated that "armed groups outside the law violated the agreements and launched treacherous attacks against police and security personnel, and the air force of the Israeli occupation carried out airstrikes in support of these groups and targeted the deployment sites of our forces".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the Israeli attacks on southern Syria, saying, "We are committed to keeping the southwestern region of Syria as a demilitarized area in Israel. We will not allow a return to a situation where Lebanon is established again, and we are also committed to protecting the Druze".

He added, "We are working on this through powerful and intensive operations, and I hope we do not have to act more, as this largely depends on what those in Damascus understand or do not do".

In light of the escalating aggression of the occupation against Syria, the Israeli government appointed Minister Avi Dichter as Deputy Minister of Security, who is on a visit to the United States today.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli aggression on its territory, stating that "the attacks resulted in the martyrdom of army personnel, security forces, and civilians. This act is a gross violation of Syrian sovereignty and a breach of the principles of international law and the United Nations".

It noted that "the aggression came in a suspicious context aimed at destabilizing and undermining the unity of Syrian territory, and we call on the United Nations, the Security Council, and the international community to uphold their responsibilities and condemn this aggression".

The Syrian Foreign Ministry stated, "We affirm our firm right to defend our territories by all means guaranteed by international law. We are keen to protect all the sons of the Syrian people without exception, especially the Druze community, and we call on our people in Sweida to stand united behind the state and army and reject being dragged into any suspicious projects".

The Syrian presidency issued a statement, which stated, "Based on the state's keenness to preserve rights, cease bloodshed, uphold the rule of law, and ensure the regular functioning of its institutions, the Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic emphasizes the necessity for all public and private civil and military entities to prevent any form of transgression or violation under any justification".

It also announced the assignment of relevant regulatory and executive authorities to take immediate legal action against anyone proven to have transgressed or committed offenses, regardless of their rank or position, as stated in its statement.

U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barak stated, "The recent skirmishes in Sweida raise concerns among all parties. We are conducting direct and constructive discussions with all parties to move towards calm and integration".

He added, "We are working to reach a peaceful and comprehensive solution for the Druze, Bedouin tribes, the Syrian government, and Israel".

The Israeli occupation army announced in a statement that it "has started, under the direction of political leadership, to attack military vehicles belonging to the Syrian regime forces in Sweida, southern Syria," shortly after having monitored convoys including armored personnel carriers and tanks belonging to the Syrian regime, starting from Monday evening, heading towards Sweida, southern Syria.

It mentioned that "after that, the Israeli army attacked several armored vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, and remotely controlled vehicles, in addition to access routes, aiming to hinder their arrival to the area".

It emphasized that it "continues to monitor developments, with a 'defensive' readiness, and readiness regarding various scenarios".