The Syrian government and Druze factions controlling the southern city of Sweida carried out their first prisoner exchange on Thursday since deadly clashes last summer, the Syrian government's Sweida media office said.
The swap involved Damascus releasing 61 prisoners from the Druze factions detained in Adra Central Prison near the capital, in return for the Druze's National Guard Forces freeing 25 Syrian government personnel © Mena Today
The Syrian government and Druze factions controlling the southern city of Sweida carried out their first prisoner exchange on Thursday since deadly clashes last summer, the Syrian government's Sweida media office said.
The swap involved Damascus releasing 61 prisoners from the Druze factions detained in Adra Central Prison near the capital, in return for the Druze's National Guard Forces freeing 25 Syrian government personnel, the media office said.
The operation took place under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Heavy sectarian clashes in Sweida between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes erupted last July. The clashes intensified further when forces of the Islamist-led government were sent to quell the fighting in the provincial capital of the mostly Druze province.
The clashes drew strikes from Israel, which backs the Druze, against President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government.
A comprehensive ceasefire was announced later in the month to halt the fighting following days of bloodshed in which hundreds were killed.
Reporting by Firas Al Daalati
Negotiating teams from the U.S. and Iran could return to Islamabad later this week, five sources said on Tuesday, days after the highest-level talks between the two countries in decades ended without a breakthrough.
The deadline passed on Monday for the start of a U.S. military blockade of ships leaving Iran's ports, and Tehran threatened to retaliate against ports of its Gulf neighbours after weekend talks on ending the war broke down.
Israeli troops launched an attack on Monday to seize a key town in south Lebanon from Hezbollah fighters holed up there, pressing the war on the Iran-backed group on the eve of rare talks between Israeli and Lebanese government envoys.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.