The point on the situation – The Syrian president said he wanted to avoid “an open war” with Israel, whose intervention in the south of the country, theater of community clashes.
Syrian president Ahmed al-Charaa announced this Thursday the transfer “To local factions and sheiks” Druzes responsibility for maintaining security in Soueida.
He also said he wanted to avoid “An open war” with Israel, whose intervention he condemned in the conflict. “We have given priority to the interest of Syrians rather than chaos and destruction”said the latter in a television address.
Pass advertising
The south of the country is the scene of community clashes that have killed more than 350s since Sunday.
Le Figaro takes stock of the situation.
Ahmed al-Charaa transfers the maintenance of security in Soueida in the Druze
Clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters, an esoteric minority from the Ismaelian branch of Shiism, broke out in the province of Soueïda on Sunday after the kidnapping of a Druze vegetable merchant. The Syrian government deployed forces on Tuesday in the region with the aim of restoring order. But Israel, hostile to any Syrian military presence near its border and saying that they wanted to protect the Druze community, replied by bombing Damascus and other areas of the country.
“We have decided that local factions and wise sheikhs would assume responsibility for maintaining security in Soueïda”said Ahmed al-Charaa, the Syrian president, evoking “The need to avoid sinking into a new large -scale war” After four days of violence. “We had two options: an open war with the Israeli entity at the expense of our Druze people, its security and the stability of Syria and the whole region, or give the elders and the sheikhs Druzes the possibility of returning to reason and giving priority to the national interest”he explained.
Read too
In response to clashes between Druzes and Syrian troops, Israel Bombarde Damascus
Withdrawal of Syrian troops from Soueida
Syrian government forces began to withdraw Wednesday from Soueïda following a ceasefire agreement, after being accused of having fought the Druzes alongside the Bedouin tribes. According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (OSDH), an organization based in the United Kingdom and which relies on a large network of sources in Syria, clashes have left more than 350 dead since Sunday, including 27 civilians victims of“Summary executions” by government forces.
Pass advertising
In his speech, Ahmed al-Charaa promised to do “Rendering accounts” to the authors of abuses against “Our Druze people, who are under the protection and responsibility of the State”. “The Syrian state has intervened to end the clashes between armed groups of Soueida and neighboring regions”he said.
Israeli strikes in Damascus left three dead
The Syrian president also accused Israel of having “Achemed a large -scale targeting of civil and government facilities to undermine these efforts, which led to a significant complication of the situation and pushed things to a large -scale escalation, except for the effective intervention of American, Arab and Turkish mediation, which saved the region from an unknown fate”.
Ahmed al-Charaa did not specify which Arab countries had intervened in mediation. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had announced “An agreement on specific measures that will end this disturbing and terrifying situation” in Syria. Israel led strikes on the army headquarters on Wednesday in Damascus and on a “Military target” in the presidential palace area. Syrian authorities have reported three dead. Bombing also targeted near Damascus “The surroundings of Mazzé’s military airport”according to the Syrian authorities. Others have targeted in particular Soueida and the Damascus-Deraa motorway, according to the Sana agency.