From June 18 to July 3, 2018, five persons, including one female child, were killed and 17 others were injured as a result of falling indiscriminate mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades on several locations in al-Sweida province southern Syria. Eyewitnesses were likely to accuse the Syrian regular forces for the shelling that coincided with its military campaign against the neighboring province of Daraa in which it could control over most of the province. On the other hand, other parties accused the armed opposition factions of being responsible for these attacks.
According to the posts of Suwayda24[1] on its official account, that on June 18, 2018, rocket shells landed on the town of al-Qurayya, south of al-Sweida, preceded by shelling by Syrian regular forces on the eastern countryside of Daraa province. The network quoted local sources that "the source of the rocket shells was from the armed opposition factions in Daraa."
On June 19, 2018, mortar shells fell on the village of al-Dweirh and Lubayn in the north-west of al-Sweida, and two mortar shells fell on the neighborhood of Business School in al-Sweida city and al-Nahda neighborhood. Two more shells fell on the al-Jalaa neighbourhood, causing damage to the wall of Adnan al-Hayek School. Moreover, on June 20th, two anonymous mortar shells fell on T'ara village and another one fell on both villages of al-Qurayya and Harran, according to the Suwayda24.
Suwayda24 said that on June 21, 2018, Malik Najeeb Abu Alwan, along with two elements of the Military Security Branch, identified as Hisham Ghaleb al-Najm and Firas Mohammed al-Hasan were killed as a result of two rocket shells on al-Kanawat Road near al-Zekriat Restaurant, in addition, five persons were injured.
On June 24th, the child, Tulai Ashraf Abu Mahmoud, 9 years old, died when a mortar shell fell on her house in ad-Dour village
On June 25, 2018, four mortar shells fell on the town of Era, causing the death of Nawras Riyad Man al-Din, and injuring eight people. On the same day, a shell fell on the adjacent village of al-Mjemir. one person was wounded as a result of dropping three mortar shells on neighborhoods of al-Kanawat, al-Debsi, and the National Stadium in al-Sweida. Three others were injured when four shells fell near al-Bassel Park and the Red Crescent Center in the city, Suwayda24 said.
On June 28, 2018, two mortar shells were recorded falling on al-Mjemir village, and five other shells fell on June 27th injuring one person. On July 3, 2018, two shells fell on as-Sawara as-Sughra town, according to Suwayda 24.
In an interview with STJ on 21 July 2018, Dalia Hamza, the journalist and activist who lives in al-Suwayda, quoted eyewitnesses that missiles that fell on al-Nahda and al-Jalaa neighborhoods on July 19th were "mortar shells with a range of no more than 4 km. Some people saw them being out from a position close the Tell al-Hadid adjacent to the village of al-Thaala, a military point affiliated to the Syrian regular forces."
"The media loyal to the regular forces took advantage of the indiscriminate rockets shells to inflame the sectarian passion between Daraa and al-Sweida provinces (…) the type of missiles, the location and the time of their fall confirm that they were launched from a nearby site intentionally, and not from Daraa province. The probability of them being dropped mistakenly from the regime forces-positions is a weak possibility, since some civilians have confirmed the source of the missiles." Dalia Hamza said.
Rijal al-Karama Movement[2] had announced its commitment of neutrality regarding the ongoing incidents in Daraa, as published by its Media Office on June 20, 2018. The announcement came a day after the statement released by the Southern Front stationed in Daraa province on June 19th in which it illustrated its attitude from the people of Jabal al-Arab and stressing the "brotherhood" between both provinces.
An image of a release published by the Media Office of Rijal all-Din Movement on June 20, 2018, stressing the neutrality regarding the "interior conflicts" and what is going on in Daraa.
A copy of the statement released by the Southern Front on June 19, 2018, in which it stresses the "brotherhood" between both provinces of Daraa and al-Sweida.
The Syrian regular forces and their allies had launched a military campaign against Daraa province on June 15, 2018, and managed to control over the entire province, except for Hawd al-Yarmouk area (Yarmouk Basin), which is held by Jaysh Khalid Bin al-Walid, that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS), under an agreement reached between factions of the military's opposition with Russia that provided the Russian Military Police to enter most of the towns, the withdrawal of factions from them, the evacuation of a section of the factions and the civilians to Idlib province, . STJ has already published several detailed reports on the deaths and injuries and the exodus of estimated 300,000 people to the border line with Jordan and the occupied Syrian Golan.
[1] A Syrian local news site that cover news of al-Sweida province.
[2] Akl Sheikhdom takes over the supreme spiritual and social service of the Unitarian Druze community in Syria by virtue of the laws in force which have consolidated their full autonomy to their religious affairs and their charitable endowments. The Sheikhdom legislates the systems and administers of their institutions in compliance with the spiritual provisions of the community and its confessional privileges and laws and regulations.