Residents of the town of Mafaaleh in Suweida handed over members of the Political Security Forces of the regime forces who had taken shelter in the town to “Sheikh al-Aql”, Hikmat al-Hijri. This comes under an agreement to allow them to return to Suweida, after two hours of tension in the area, as a result of the members’ escape and their shelter in one of the town’s houses, according to sources from Suweida.
The Fahd forces accused the patrol of shooting at the house of its commander Salim Hamid. Security sources in the regime denied this, claiming that “the patrol was on a mission to deliver food to one of the checkpoints, and was intercepted. They denied the rumors of shooting at the car of Salim Hamid, or his house,” a source told Suwayda 24 network.
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Meanwhile, pro-regime sources said that the incident began with the passage of the Political Security patrol from the town of Qanawat, which is witnessing a proliferation of Fahd Forces checkpoints against the background of tension with the National Defense and State Security. The patrol refused to stop at one of the checkpoints, then fled to the Mafaaleh town, where three members took shelter in one of the houses. The Fahd Forces arrested the fourth, seized the car, and transported it to the town of Qanawat.
The website noted that the residents of Mafaaleh refused to hand over the members who took shelter in the town. The members of Fahd Forces responded by cutting off the road of “Qanawat-Mafaaleh”, firing from medium machine guns, striking shells in the air, and detaining three civilians from Mafaaleh –to pressure the residents of the town– and then releasing them.
The website said the tension ended with the handover of the members to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri and the delivery of the fourth member by the Fahd Forces to al-Hijri as well. He will take them to Suweida.
It is noteworthy that the tension in Suweida began after the Fahd Forces expelled the National Defense Militia from the house of the opposition journalist Faisal al-Qasim, in the town of Qanawat. This incident succeded a clash with the State Security checkpoint of the regime on the road of Suwayda-Qanawat. Members of the checkpoint previously took security measures on passers-by, and attacked a citizen because he refused to stop.
On Friday, Rashid Salloum, an official of the General Secretariat of the National Defense Militia, and his brother, the Attorney General, were severely beaten as they left the town of Qanawat. They were taken to hospital by members of the Fahd Forces. They were trying to mediate with Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri to restore the house of Faisal al-Qasim, from which the militia was expelled.
The Fahd Forces faction is active in the town of Qanawat. It is founded by Salim al-Hamid, with a group of fighters from multiple backgrounds, particularly some men defecting from the Men of Dignity movement after the killing of its leader Sheikh Wahid al-Balous. The Fahd Forcesfaction adopts the principles of the Men of Dignity movement and has a good relationship and several ties with it, notably protection.
This article was 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.
