People chant slogans and wave the opposition flag during a gathering against the Syrian government in Syria’s southern city of Sweida on Dec. 6, 2024. (AFP)
In an unprecedented shift in Sweida’s history, the positions and barracks of the Syrian army and security services collapsed in the face of a massive popular uprising on Friday, following clashes that left four victims and about twenty wounded as a preliminary toll.
The exceptional Friday in Sweida began with a massive popular demonstration in Al-Karama Square in the city center calling for the overthrow of the regime, under the title “Syria Liberation Friday.” The rapid developments in the north of the country created an incentive for hundreds of Sweida residents to move quickly to end the Assad regime’s authority within the province.
The Druze stronghold of Sweida is home to large military barracks of the Syrian army, most of which belong to the 15th Special Forces Division, in addition to security headquarters and detachments with military points and checkpoints, in addition to radar and air defense battalions, and points for border guards and camel corps.
With the launch of military operations in Daraa by its local factions against the army positions that quickly withdrew towards Sweida, the latter witnessed a popular uprising in various parts of it, in front of which the army and security units collapsed within hours after limited confrontations.
The Sweida 24 correspondent said that the civil groups and armed factions began to besiege one barrack after another, offered their members to surrender and avoid confrontation, and called on all members of the army and security to defect and withdraw from Sweida Governorate.
He added that hundreds of army and security personnel refused to confront and respond to the calls to defect, so the military battalions fell rapidly, and the civil groups and factions seized large quantities of military equipment, ammunition, and weapons, including tanks and rocket launchers.
While clashes occurred with some sites that refused to surrender, such as the Shahba checkpoint, the Air Force Intelligence Department, and the State Security Branch, and the clashes were violent at times, resulting in casualties and injuries. However with the intensification of the confrontations, the surrender operations continued from the air force to the rest of the security centers.
Our correspondent pointed out that the most important sites that were evacuated or controlled by the civil groups: the 15th Division Command, the Sweida Police Command, the 404th Regiment, the 405th Regiment, the 44th Regiment, the 127th Regiment, the Thaala Airport, the Chemistry Battalion, the Aghar Center, in addition to the headquarters of the air force, the political, the state security and the criminal.
Our correspondent spoke about large-scale looting operations that took place in all the military and security centers that were evacuated or withdrawn from, indicating that the quantities of weapons and ammunition that fell into the hands of the uprising from the residents and the armed factions were “terrifying”.
Civil groups also stormed the Sweida Central Prison and opened its doors to hundreds of prisoners who fled in the streets of the city, most of whom were detained on criminal backgrounds, with a small number of detainees on political backgrounds.
In light of these developments, the governor of Sweida fled to the capital Damascus, followed by the leaders of the security branches and senior army officers, leaving behind hundreds of army personnel who surrendered to the people and factions, and were hosted in citizens’ homes.
Meanwhile, various armed factions announced the formation of more than one “operations room”, including the Men of Dignity, the Mountain Brigade, the Sons of the Mountain Gathering, the Sheikh of Dignity Forces, the Local Forces Gathering, and other factions. The factions also announced a 24-hour curfew in the city of Sweida due to the current developments.
The challenge facing these factions appears great in the coming hours and days with the collapse of army barracks and security centers, amid questions about their ability to control the security situation and preserve public and private institutions and properties.
Developments are still ongoing and immediate in Sweida Governorate, with the rapid fall of the security and military institutions in Sweida Governorate, amid anticipation of what new events the coming hours will bring.
Sweida 24