Ceasefire violated again in Suwaida, Southern Syria

Syrian sources on Saturday reported that Syrian Ministry of Defense-aligned factions stationed in the village of Walgha targeted local armed groups in Sweida city with heavy weapons, marking another violation of the ceasefire.

The sources in Sweida noted that “local forces are responding to movements by the factions along the axis of the villages of Atil and Walgha.”

The sources also noted that civilians were told to keep away from windows and public areas due to heavy weapon fire targeting the city.
Demonstrations for right to self-determination
Earlier on Saturday, dozens of Sweida citizens organized demonstrations in Karama Square demanding the right to self-determination and the disclosure of the fate of missing and kidnapped persons from the city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that during the demonstrations, protesters also called for the liberation of villages and towns in the northern and western countryside from the groups aligned with the transitional government.

Banners calling for international pressure on the transitional government were also reported to be raised in these demonstrations.
These protests follow repeated reports of the worsening conditions of the residents of Sweida and its countryside due to the ongoing siege imposed by the government-aligned forces and a general economic downturn.

Public bakeries in the province have ceased operations after running out of flour, forcing residents to rely on limited supplies of bread from private bakeries, per an October report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.