Member of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Khuzama Al-Afif, said that the Assad regime has shifted its strategy in Sweida. Initially betting that the popular protests would lose momentum, the regime is now employing security and military measures to intimidate residents and demonstrators.
In a briefing on the situation in Sweida during the 72nd regular meeting of the General Assembly, Al-Afif reported that the regime has recently started throwing bombs at gatherings, firing bullets, arresting leading religious figures and activists, and deploying military checkpoints throughout the city.
She added that the regime aims to break the will of the protesters and instill fear among them after nearly a year of peaceful demonstrations in Sweida, attempting to suppress and control the city.
Al-Afif pointed out that the assassination of Marhej Al-Jarmani last Wednesday marks a significant shift in the regime’s approach, indicating that it has begun issuing direct threats to eliminate protest leaders and spread discord to intimidate and provoke people, aiming to drag them into its sphere of control through force and violence.
Al-Afif emphasized that the people of Sweida are fully aware of the regime’s tactics and malicious plans. They continue to demonstrate their commitment to peaceful protests in Al-Karama Square, striving to achieve the Syrian people’s demands to overthrow the Assad regime and implement a political solution based on relevant UN resolutions, particularly UN Resolutions 2118 and 2254.
She added that during recent demonstrations, the people of Sweida reiterated their commitment to peaceful protest as the only path to change. They sent a strong message to the regime and the world that the city’s residents are dedicated to the nonviolent nature of their protests to achieve their legitimate rights. Al-Afif noted that this insistence reflects a deep popular awareness that violence will only lead to more destruction and that the solution lies in peaceful protests and continuous pressure to achieve the desired change.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
