London, July 22 (UNI) The United Kingdom is "horrified" by the upsurge in violence in Syria's Suwayda province and is calling for an end to the fighting, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
"We have been horrified by the recent violence in the south, including civilian deaths ... As I have said directly to Foreign Minister al-Shaibani, we want to see the fighting ended, civilians protected, and the rights of all Syrians upheld. The violence in Suwayda must be investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable," Lammy said in the parliament on Monday.
Earlier in July, armed Bedouin groups attacked several Druze settlements in Suwayda, clashing with Druze self-defense forces. The Syrian Defense Ministry said that over 30 people had been killed and 100 others wounded in the clashes, including 20 troops loyal to the Syrian transitional government.
Last week, the Syrian Defense Ministry said that the army and interior ministry deployed troops to Suwayda to clear the city of illegal armed factions. Later, they began withdrawing heavy military equipment from Suwayda toward Damascus, transferring residential areas under the control of internal security forces.
The Israeli government ordered an immediate military strike against Syrian forces. Israel said it acted out of concern for the Druze community of Syria, citing close ties with the Druze population within Israel and historic connections.
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