Syria Declares Ceasefire as Druze Leader Alleges Coercion
Syria declared a ceasefire in Suwayda after its forces entered the city, sparking clashes and an Israeli strike. The top Druze leader alleged a statement welcoming the army was "forced upon us" under pressure.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Syria’s defense minister has announced a ceasefire in Suwayda, according to AFP, following a turbulent day of violent clashes, an Israeli airstrike, and a stunning claim from the Druze community's top spiritual leader that his initial support for the army's entry was "forced."
In a dramatic video statement on Tuesday, Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze Monotheist community, said a previous statement welcoming government forces "was forced upon us" and "came under pressure from foreign countries and Damascus."
"Despite our acceptance of this humiliating statement, the indiscriminate shelling of unarmed civilians in Suwayda continued," al-Hijri stated, adding, "We are being subjected to a comprehensive war of extermination."
This contradicted a statement issued Tuesday morning in which the Druze spiritual leadership had welcomed the army and called on armed factions to hand over their weapons.
The reversal came as Syrian government forces entered the city for the first time since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The deployment, intended to quell clashes that had left around 100 people dead, instead sparked "fierce clashes" in the city, an AFP correspondent reported.
Adding another volatile element, Syrian state media reported that an "Israeli occupation aircraft" targeted the city on Tuesday. The strike occurred after Israel had confirmed shelling Syrian tanks on Monday and warned Damascus against targeting the Druze population.
This is a developing story. Kurdistan24 will provide further updates when more details are available.
