People in southern Syria rebel against Assad

Clashes broke out today between Bashar Assad’s forces and the local population in the Druze town of Suwayda in southern Syria. Dozens of protesters stormed the governor’s office in response to the economic crisis.

The events broke out in the morning when more than 200 protesters gathered in front of the governor’s office. The crowd chanting slogans against the Assad administration then stormed the building. As clashes broke out between security forces and protesters inside, protesters set parts of the building on fire.

‘AT LEAST ONE PERSON DIED’

State media reported that the crowd downloaded photos of Assad from the building and burned many official documents belonging to the governorate. Eyewitnesses who spoke to Reuters also stated that the interior parts of the building burned to a great extent, the governor was not in the building at the time, and the building was evacuated.

Eyewitnesses reported that there were injuries in the clashes. A hospital source also announced that at least one person died.

Tensions have recently escalated in Suwayda, where the Druze population is dense, and the war that began in Syria in 2011 has largely been spared from conflict and has not participated in the Assad government’s military operations. In July, at least 17 people lost their lives in a clash between Assad’s government security forces and the local population.