Women demonstrators in Suweida. Photo: Suhail Thubian
Women demonstrators in Suweida. Photo: Suhail Thubian
Women demonstrators in Suweida. Photo: Suhail Thubian
Women demonstrators in Suweida. Photo: Suhail Thubian

Syrian and Iran-linked forces enter rebellious Druze-majority Suweida province


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

Hundreds of Syrian troops and Iran-linked forces have been deployed in Suweida in southern Syria, residents and dissidents said on Tuesday, raising fears of a crackdown on a months-long peaceful protest movement against President Bashar Al Assad in the mostly Druze province.

Many members of the sect, which is also present in Israel, Lebanon and Jordan, have turned away from the Assad regime after 13 years of civil war. The protests against Mr Al Assad began in September last year, with daily demonstrations in the central square of Suweida city, the provincial capital, and elsewhere in the area.

The province, on the border with Jordan, has bases for Iran-backed militias that Amman says are responsible, together with the Syrian Army for aiding drug smuggling into the Arabian Peninsula. Suweida also has a concentration of troops from Russia, an Assad ally, armed Druze militias and a balance of forces that make it difficult for the regime to put down civil disobedience.

Praetorian Republican Guards, members of the air force intelligence and military intelligence began arriving in Suweida and at the Khalkhala airbase north of the city on April 21, residents and dissidents in the area said.

About 500 more Republican Guards arrived four days later, along with 10 tanks and military vehicles, followed by 250 members of air force intelligence and 100 members of military intelligence from Damascus.

According to Etana, a Syrian research and policy centre based in Amman, the initial deployment of forces included members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its overseas operations arm, the Quds Force.

There was no comment on the deployments from Damascus or Tehran, which said it does not have troops in Syria.

Suhail Theiban, a veteran dissident and a leader of the Suweida protest movement, said he feared that the Syrian and Iran-linked forces, working together through agents, could instigate incidents to provide an “excuse” to deploy troops in the streets on the pretext of maintaining order.

“This regime has the capability to do anything. Suweida is too important for it to lose,” Mr Theiban told The National.

“Through Suweida, it has flooded the whole region with Captagon.”

The second round of deployments came after the Druze Obeid clan abducted three Syrian soldiers in Suweida in response to the arrest of one of its members, a university student named Dani, in Latakia governorate.

A de facto prisoner exchange ensued and all four men are now free.

Suweida has been the centre of months-long protests against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Suweida has been the centre of months-long protests against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Similar incidents that occurred in Suweida over the past decade also ended with the release of abductees by both sides, illustrating the balance of force that has maintained a prolonged stalemate between Druze clans and the regime throughout the civil war.

But the latest move sparked alarm from Sheikh Hikmat Al Hajri, widely considered the most senior Syrian cleric among the Druze, followers of an offshoot of Islam.

Sheikh Al Hajri called for the Druze to remain peaceful.

“Our freemen and freewomen are peaceful patriots. When necessary they can defend peace and dignity,” he said.

He warned “any party” against “any escalation or any sabotage”, describing any such move as “folly”.

Mr Hajri is part of a triumvirate that comprises the religious leadership of Syria's Druze, all of whom have supported the current protests to various degrees.

Syria's Druze, who number about 700,000 and live mostly in Suweida and south of Damascus, had previously largely stayed neutral after the revolt against Mr Al Assad's two-decade rule.

Rayyan Maarouf, a member of the Suwayda24 network of citizen journalists, said the Assad regime and its Iranian backers might have felt emboldened to crush the Suweida protests now that the regional focus was on the war in Gaza and preventing more direct hostilities between Iran and Israel.

“The regime may have realised that by ignoring the protest movement in Suweida, it has not gone away,” he said. “Its mentality may be changing.”

He said the reinforcements might not be enough for a total crackdown but “could open the door for widespread violence”.

According to Etana, the “unusual” movement of forces into Suweida suggested that the regime “may be planning for a violent crackdown”.

“Also concerning is that the IRGC and Quds Force elements have also been sent as part of the deployments,” Etana said on X.

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Suggested picnic spots

Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
 
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes 

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

The specs

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm

Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh130,000

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Summer special
ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
 

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

City's slump

L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1

Company%20Profile
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Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

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The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain

Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L  / 100km

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Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
While you're here
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

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Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

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Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

Red Joan

Director: Trevor Nunn

Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova

Rating: 3/5 stars

Match info

Uefa Champions League Group B

Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3

Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)

Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)

Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)

Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)

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The 10 Questions
  • Is there a God?
  • How did it all begin?
  • What is inside a black hole?
  • Can we predict the future?
  • Is time travel possible?
  • Will we survive on Earth?
  • Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
  • Should we colonise space?
  • Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
  • How do we shape the future?
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Updated: April 30, 2024, 4:31 PM`