ALBAWABA - The Syrian Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Saturday evening that all tribal fighters have left the city of Sweida, adding that clashes within the city's neighborhoods have stopped, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
Ministry of Interior spokesperson Noureddine Al-Baba added in a statement: "After intensive efforts by the Ministry of Interior to implement the ceasefire agreement, following the deployment of its forces in the northern and western regions of Sweida Governorate, the city of Sweida has been evacuated of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city's neighborhoods have ceased."
Tribal forces pull out of Sweida, fighting halted:
The Syrian Tribal Council confirmed the withdrawal of all its fighters from Sweida city in implementation of the presidency's directives regarding the ceasefire agreement, Alikhbaria Syria channel mentioned.
During Saturday clashes between local Druze factions, Syrian Ministry of Defense personnel, and Bedouin militants in the countryside of Sweida Governorate, at least 181 Druze were killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory said 25 members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, Public Security, and Bedouin militants were killed on July 19.
Earlier on Saturday, the Syrian presidency revealed a new deal with local factions that includes a "comprehensive and immediate ceasefire" in Sweida.
The presidency warned that any violation of this agreement constitutes a "clear violation of national sovereignty and will be met with the necessary legal measures in accordance with the constitution and applicable laws."
On the other hand, Syria's Deputy Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Ahmed Quraiz, announced early Saturday morning that Hamza Al-Amarin, the director of the Civil Defense Center in Sweida, had been kidnapped, and his fate is unknown.
Quraiz revealed that the director of the Civil Defense Center in Sweida had attempted to enter an area to evacuate a United Nations team, but he disappeared.
