Demonstrations against the Assad regime in al-Sawida district, Syria, February 28, 2024/Reuters
A demonstrator was killed in protests against the Assad regime in the Druze province of Sawida in southern Syria - this is what Syrian human rights organizations said today (Wednesday).
He is the first person killed in the protests that have been taking place in the region since last year, which broke out due to the difficult economic situation and quickly turned into demonstrations against the ruler Bashar Assad himself.
The local website "Svida-24" reported that the protester, 52 years old, died of his wounds from the gunfire of the security forces who secured a government building and opened fire on protesters.
The Syrian Organization for Human Rights, which is affiliated with the Syrian opposition and monitors the war in the country from Britain, also confirmed his death.
According to "Sweida-24", the leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, met with the protesters today and said that the dead man was a "martyr".
Sweida District, located in the Druze Mountains, was among the few areas in Syria that did not experience the devastation of the civil war that has been raging since 2011. It remained under the control of the regime throughout the war.
But last summer, a sharp increase in gas prices brought protesters to the streets, and they began to demand political changes.
Dozens of branches of the ruling Baath party were closed due to the anger of the demonstrators, some of whom even tore down portraits of Assad and his father, Hafez.
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Syria
Druze
Swida
Bashar Al Assad