Local media sources in Suweida reported that a group of residents in the town of Thala, located in the western countryside of Suweida, have driven out a Russian military delegation. The expulsion followed the deployment of Russia’s soldiers in the town on Tuesday, where they maintained a provocative presence. The governorate had previously witnessed similar incidents in the town of Mazra’a, the city of Shahba and the village of Al-Jeneina, in which local residents have also driven out Russian patrols.
The Suweida 24 website reported that two military vehicles of the Russian forces entered the town of Thaala in rural Suweida. The vehicles had travelled from Daraa and were accompanied by a Syrian military intelligence patrol. The delegation stopped at the Thaala municipality building, where Russian soldiers disembarked and deployed near the building with their weapons.
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The website added that a group of local residents gathered near the municipality building. They shouted at the Russian soldiers, describing them as occupiers, and asked them to leave the town immediately. And this is what eventually happened, as the delegation withdrew from the town without escalating the situation.
The mayor of Thaala told local residents that the delegation came only to inquire about the recent events in Suweida. One of the townspeople who drove out the delegation said that it was provocative for the Russian soldiers to deploy with their weapons in the streets of the town. “I believe that they are occupiers. They should not be permitted in our country and on our streets with their weapons, parading with such arrogance,” the source said.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
