Clashes Erupt In Syria’s Sweida After Ceasefire Collapses; Israel Strikes Near Damascus, Backs Druze Minority

<p data-pm-slice=”1 1 []”>The clashes raged in Syria&rsquo;s Sweida on Wednesday after a ceasefire between the government forces and the Druze armed groups collapsed and as Israel threatened to escalate its involvement. Israel also said that it is in support of the Druze religious minority, reports news agency AP.</p>
<p>According to the report, the Israeli army said it struck near the entrance to the Syrian Ministry of Defence in Damascus. It has launched a series of airstrikes on convoys of the government forces in southern Syria since the clashes erupted and has also beefed up forces on the border.</p>
<p>The Defence Ministry of Syria had earlier blamed the militias in the Druze-majority area of Sweida for violating a ceasefire agreement that had been reached Tuesday, causing Syrian army soldiers to&nbsp;return fire. It said they were &ldquo;adhering to rules of engagement to protect residents, prevent harm, and ensure the safe return of those who left the city back to their homes,&rdquo; reports news agency AP.</p>
<p>Earlier, a rebel offensive led by the Islamist insurgent groups ousted Syria&rsquo;s long-time despotic leader, Bashar Assad. It brought an end to a nearly 14-year civil war. The new rulers of the country since then have struggled to consolidate control.&nbsp;</p>
<p>News agency AP, quoting Evelyin Azzam from Jaramana, reports that she fears that her husband, Robert Kiwan, 23, is dead. The newlyweds live in the Damascus suburb, but Kiwan would commute to Sweida for work each morning and got trapped there when the clashes erupted.</p>
<p>Azzam added that she was on the phone with Kiwan when security forces questioned him and a colleague about whether they were affiliated with Druze militias. When the colleague of her husband raised his voice, she heard a gunshot. Kiwan was then shot while trying to appeal.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;They shot my husband in the hip from what I could gather,&rdquo; she said as quoted by news agency AP. &ldquo;The ambulance took him to the hospital. Since then, we have no idea what has happened.&rdquo;</p>