Nearly 100 killed in Sweida: Syrian MOD
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The death toll from clashes in Sweida, Syria, has surpassed 100, while the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced it had retaken the Mazraa area and was close to capturing Kanaker.
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Syrians carry an injured person during clashes in the Mazraa area of Sweida (Undated, AFP)
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday evening that approximately 100 people were killed, while the number of injured exceeded 200, having arrived at the National Hospital in Sweida since Sunday morning.
Fierce clashes broke out overnight Monday in southern Syria, leaving at least 89 people dead and at least 100 injured. According to local sources who spoke to Al Mayadeen, violent confrontations erupted between armed Druze factions from Sweida and Bedouin tribal groups near al-Thalaa military airport and the village bridge of Hazm, located north of Sweida governorate.
Clashes are concentrated around the village of Kanaker and in the towns of Thaala and Mazraaa.
Meanwhile, an Israeli warplane flew over the area, launching thermal balloons, and explosions were heard. It has not been confirmed whether they resulted from an Israeli attack or from the sounds of heavy weapons fire during the clashes, according to the observatory.
Meanwhile, the Sweida Governorate reported that artillery shells fell on the city of Sweida, originating from the town of Al-Maliha Al-Sharqiya, where Bedouin tribes and Ministry of Defense forces are located.
Syrian Defense: We’ve secured the Sweida farm and will take Kanaker soon.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Defense spokesman Hassan Abdul Ghani told Syrian television that the military situation in Sweida was heading toward control.
Abdul Ghani pointed out that there is communication between the Ministry of Defense and factions within Sweida.
He also announced control of the farm in the Sweida countryside, adding: "Kanaker will be controlled soon."
In a related development, Syria TV reported that "the army is now 4 km from the western entrance to the city of Sweida," noting that "the army and internal security forces have established checkpoints in the village of Walgha to maintain security."
The channel also reported that the army and security forces are pursuing members of local armed groups clashing with them.
Sweida residents demand state intervention, control over province
Earlier Today, prominent figures, intellectuals, and residents of Sweida province appealed Monday for calm and accountability, urging an immediate end to the spiraling violence that has gripped the region. The signatories stressed their “moral and national responsibility” to prevent further descent into chaos and self-destruction.
Expressing deep concern over the spread of unchecked violence and weapons among various groups, the statement called for a collective moral reckoning. Residents urged all sides to prioritize wisdom over impulsiveness and to return to the framework of the state and the rule of law.
The residents emphasized that the alternative to the authority of the state is lawlessness. They voiced their preference for civil peace and public safety over the presence of unregulated armed groups or unlawful behavior, insisting on safeguarding the city’s social fabric and preventing its neighborhoods from becoming battlefields. “The blood of our sons is more precious than any conflict,” the statement read.
