Syrian Government Forces Attack Al-Suwayda With Drones After Calls For Independence (Videos)

The forces of Syria’s Islamist-led Interim Government launched late on October 27 a series of drone strikes against Druze fighters in al-Suwayda, in a violation of a ceasefire in the southern governorate brokered by the United States.

Tensions have remained high in al-Suwayda, since an attack by government forces and bedouin fighters in July claimed the lives of over 3,000 people, third of whom were Druze civilians. Israel intervened at the time to protect the Druze, citing its historic ties with its own Druze community. The battle ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, but over 30 Druze towns in the northern and western countryside of the governorate are still held by government forces.

The forces are also believed to be holding hundreds of Druze civilians hostage, reportedly up to 600, and continue to impose a partial blockade on the governorate.

The latest drone strikes targeted positions in the western outskirts of al-Suwayda city. At least ten people were reportedly wounded including members of the National Guard, a unified group formed by Druze armed factions following the battle with government forces.

“Our units deployed along the axis were able to shoot down several drones before they reached their civilian targets, thanks to high preparedness and precise surveillance,” the National Guard said in a statement.

The strikes came just a few hours after Sky News Arabia aired an interview with the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Syria, Hikmat al-Hajri, during which he stated that his vision is based on the “complete independence” of al-Suwayda.

The drones used to carry out the strikes were reportedly small, most likely quadcopters modified to drop grenades or laden with explosives for one-way attacks.

Government forces remain positioned just under five kilometers away from the northwestern, western and southwestern entrances of al-Suwayda city.

Recent weeks saw a steady increase in ceasefire violations by government forces, which also began to use drones more frequently.

The latest series of drone strikes was clearly meant as a response to al-Hajri’s remarks. This shows that the government is planning to escalate.

In fact, the very next day a bus carrying Druze civilians from al-Suwayda to Damascus came under attack in a part of the highway that is supposedly secured by government forces. Two people were killed and at least 11 others were wounded as a result of the attack.

Talks between the government and the Druze in al-Suwayda are basically on halt. The recent escalation indicates that the government is still planning to solve this issue with military force.

Meanwhile Israel, which vowed to protect the Druze, remains silent over ceasefire violations, amid reports of progress on a security agreement with the Syrian government. Israel even ignored the deployment of drone units in al-Suwaday, despite previously vowing to prevent heavy weapons from entering southern Syria.

The government appears to be planning to attack the Druze in al-Suwaday again once a security agreement is signed with Israel. This may be, however, the exact kind of excuse Israel is waiting for to justify a full invasion of southern Syria, as a new government attack on the governorate is guaranteed to result in more war crimes against the Druze.

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