Hundreds of families evacuated from Suwayda, says government minister
A Syrian government minister says hundreds of families have been evacuated from Suwayda and dozens of bodies recovered, as the government responds to the fighting in the south.
Raed al-Saleh, Syria’s minister of disaster management and emergency response, said the government had formed a joint operations room coordinating state institutions and humanitarian organisations in response to calls for help from citizens caught up in the violence.
He said their efforts had led to more than 570 wounded patients being treated and the bodies of 87 victims being recovered. Hundreds of families had been evacuated to safer areas, he added.
321 killed in Suwayda violence, says monitoring group
The Syrian Network for Human Rights, a group that documents human rights violations, says that 321 people have been killed in the sectarian violence around the southern Syrian city of Suwayda since Sunday.
The toll included six children, nine women, medical personnel and other civilian casualties, as well as armed Bedouin and Druze fighters and government security forces.
It said at least 436 people had been injured in the violence around the Druze-majority city.
As we reported earlier, a Syrian minister says that the government has recovered 87 bodies from around Suwayda, but he did not indicate whether that represented the entire toll from recent violence.
Red Crescent workers handle the bodies of victims of fighting in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda on Thursday
Syrian presidency says deploying troops to ‘de-escalate clashes’
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s office says it is working to deploy forces to resolve days of sectarian violence in southern Syria “through political and security measures aimed at restoring stability and preventing the return of chaos as quickly as possible”.
In a statement, the presidency reiterated a pledge to uphold the rule of law, stressing that Syria “is a state for all its sons and daughters, regardless of their backgrounds or affiliations” amid days of sectarian violence.
“Attacks on families, terrorizing children, and violating the sanctity and dignity of people in their homes are categorically rejected and condemned under all ethical, legal, and humanitarian standards. No justification or excuse can be accepted for such actions,” it said.
“There is no place for armed groups or militias beyond the reach of the state. National responsibility requires that everyone be united under the roof of the homeland, with one reference point — the rule of law.”
Israel has repeatedly threatened attacks on Syria’s interim government should it redeploy forces south of Damascus.
