National Guard, Internal Security leaderships in Swedia deny closure of crossings with Damascus

The National Guard and Internal Security leaderships in Suwayda categorically denied what they described as “misleading and false information” circulated by media platforms affiliated with Syria’s interim government regarding the alleged closure of the Umm al-Zaytoun crossing.

In a joint statement, the two leaderships confirmed that the Umm al-Zaytoun checkpoint is under the supervision of local police affiliated with Suwayda’s Internal Security Forces, whose role is limited to regulating citizens’ movement and managing their affairs, and that it has no connection to any measures of siege, obstruction, or restriction.

The statement explained that a temporary security measure taken at the checkpoint two days earlier, lasting only a few hours, followed the al-Mutouna massacre committed by the so-called “General Security” against civilians while they were working on their agricultural lands. It stressed that this measure did not include preventing the passage of commercial or relief convoys.

The statement also pointed to an audio recording issued by the official in charge of the al-Mutouna checkpoint, affiliated with the interim government, which conclusively proves that orders were given to completely ban entry into Suwayda, including commercial and humanitarian convoys. The statement described this as a “dangerous arbitrary measure that directly affects civilians’ lives,” holding the interim government fully responsible for its consequences.

The National Guard and Internal Security leaderships further condemned allegations claiming that truck drivers arriving from outside the region were subjected to abuse or verbal harassment at their checkpoints, considering such claims to be pretexts used to justify the siege imposed on Suwayda. They described this conduct as “amounting to the crime of collective punishment against civilians.”

The statement affirmed the commitment of Suwayda’s security forces to protecting all civilians without exception, including truck drivers and commercial convoys from outside the area, praising the humanitarian and professional role played by many of them in ensuring the continued entry of aid and commercial goods despite the difficult conditions.

In conclusion, the two leaderships held the interim government fully responsible for the consequences of the imposed siege and for ensuring the security of the road in areas it forcibly controls, particularly at the entrances to the road leading toward Damascus.

ANHA