Syria: Sweida Tensions Rise After Assassination of Armed Faction Leader

Syria: Sweida Tensions Rise After Assassination of Armed Faction Leader
TT

Syria: Sweida Tensions Rise After Assassination of Armed Faction Leader

Syria: Sweida Tensions Rise After Assassination of Armed Faction Leader

Residents of Sweida province in southern Syria were shocked on Wednesday morning by the assassination of Merhej al-Jarmani, leader of the local “Liwa al-Jabal” armed faction.

He was found dead in his home, shot by unknown assailants, triggering widespread anger in the community.

Local media reported that al-Jarmani was killed by a single bullet fired at close range. Details of the killing are still unclear. According to the local news network, al-Jarmani’s wife discovered him dead with a gunshot wound to the head.

Sweida has seen weekly peaceful anti-regime protests that intensified in February when authorities resumed security settlements for those wanted for military service.

Protests in Sweida province, the heartland of the country’s Druze minority, also follow President Bashar Assad’s government ending fuel subsidies last month.

Al-Jarmani, a key figure in these protests and a participant in the “defense of the mountain” battles, reportedly detained dozens of security officers last month after a young woman from Sweida was arrested in Damascus.

Locals credit al-Jarmani with helping to repel extremist groups that have attacked Sweida since 2014 and confronting government-backed groups. A local news outlet reported that no one heard gunshots when al-Jarmani was killed, suggesting a silencer was used.

“Suwayda 24,” the local news network, noted that pro-government supporters had been inciting against al-Jarmani on social media recently.

Al-Jarmani’s death and his Thursday burial in Umm al-Zaytun have shocked the protest movement in Sweida. Protesters have called him the “martyr of dignity” and held vigils in his honor.

Local sources in Sweida told Asharq Al-Awsat that al-Jarmani played a significant role in the protests, with his faction protecting the demonstrators.

Although the details of the assassination remain unclear, the protesters suspect “government security agencies” were involved.

The sources warned that if these accusations are confirmed, it could be a dangerous development.



UN Official: Lebanon Displacement 'Devastating', Support Insufficient

Displaced people sit in a makeshift tent set up on Beirut's seaside promenade - AFP
Displaced people sit in a makeshift tent set up on Beirut's seaside promenade - AFP
TT

UN Official: Lebanon Displacement 'Devastating', Support Insufficient

Displaced people sit in a makeshift tent set up on Beirut's seaside promenade - AFP
Displaced people sit in a makeshift tent set up on Beirut's seaside promenade - AFP

The displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon is "devastating", a UN migration official has said, warning international support was falling short of the needs, amid intense Israeli bombing.

After a year of cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah, which launched attacks on Israel in support of its ally Hamas in Gaza, Israel last month escalated attacks in Lebanon's south, east and south Beirut.

The war has killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and displaced more than one million others, most of them since September 23, according to Lebanese authorities.

"With this wave of displacement, we see huge needs... the situation is devastating," said Othman Belbeisi, the International Organization for Migration's Middle East and North Africa director.

"Lebanon needs more support. What has been offered so far is minimal and does not match the needs," he told AFP on Thursday during a visit to Beirut.

The IOM has "verified and tracked" some 690,000 internally displaced people in Lebanon, Belbeisi said, noting about 400,000 others had reportedly fled the country, many of them for neighbouring Syria.

Around a quarter of the displaced in Lebanon, or more than 185,00 people, are in official shelters such as schools, according to the IOM.

Around another a quarter have rented accommodation, while some 47 percent are living in "host settings", the IOM said.

- Aid appeal -

Many people are staying with relatives, while some with nowhere to go are sleeping on the streets.

"It's really sad to see this (displacement) again in Lebanon," Belbeisi said, in a country that endured a 1975-90 civil war and a monthlong conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

People have fled their homes "with nothing, out of fear, and now they have to rebuild everything once again", he added, as smoke rose from Israeli airstrikes in the city's southern suburbs.

The UN has appealed for $426 million to address the humanitarian crisis in the country over the next three months, including $32 million for the IOM to assist some 400,000 people, Belbeisi said.

UN humanitarian agency OCHA said Friday the appeal was just 12 percent funded, with $51 million received.

Lebanon has been enduring a five-year economic crisis that has impoverished many and crippled government services.

"We hope that everybody will be able to scale up their capacity," Belbeisi said.

"We want this (displacement) to end as soon as possible," he added.