Negotiations began in the city of Sweida, southern Syria, today, Monday, between local factions and the Syrian intelligence to reach an agreement for the removal of the security checkpoint at the northern entrance of the city, following a night of violent clashes that resulted in several injuries and material damage.
The city of Sweida experienced a turbulent night from Sunday to Monday, following an attack by local armed factions on the new checkpoint at the Al-Ankoud roundabout, where they used medium machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and light weapons, prompting a counterattack from checkpoint personnel.
The clashes extended to the Air Force Intelligence building and the nearby Ba'ath Party headquarters, eventually reaching the State Security Intelligence branch in the town of Qanawat, which was hit by several rocket-propelled grenades.
According to the "Sweida 24" network, the clashes resulted in injuries to one member of the local factions, while security personnel guarding the Ba'ath Party building were injured by shrapnel from rockets, in addition to material losses in civilian homes.
The factions also closed several roads leading to Sweida city in the towns of Hazm, Lahaia, Qaryat, Tima, and the city of Shahba, to prevent military reinforcements from supporting government forces.
By Monday morning, the clashes had calmed, and a cautious peace currently prevails following mediation by local residents who requested a temporary ceasefire from the factions to resume negotiations. The mediators promised to pursue an agreement that ensures the withdrawal of the new security checkpoint at the Al-Ankoud roundabout, based on demands asserted by the factions.
The network reported a source from the factions familiar with the negotiations, stating that there are demands for a guarantee from the Russian side regarding the withdrawal of the security checkpoint and the non-establishment of any new Syrian security checkpoints within the province, due to a lack of trust in the role of these checkpoints.
The source noted varying responses from Syrian security officials conveyed by the mediators, with some rejecting the request to remove the checkpoint, claiming its establishment was at the request of some residents of Sweida, while others called for de-escalation and a grace period to reach an agreement for its withdrawal.
The factions emphasized that the solution to defuse the crisis is to return all personnel from the new checkpoint to their barracks, warning that failure to respond to this demand would open the door to greater escalation in the coming hours, surpassing what the city experienced during the clashes on Sunday, according to the network.
