Shafaq News – Suwayda

Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a prominent Druze religious leader in Syria, declared Suwayda province a “disaster-stricken area” on Thursday and called for a period of public mourning following days of deadly violence.

In a statement, al-Hijri urged authorities to open roads leading toward Kurdish-controlled areas and appealed directly to Jordan’s King Abdullah II to "instruct the opening of a border crossing between Suwayda and Jordan, given its urgent humanitarian importance under the current circumstances."

He also called for practical steps to ease communication and reduce the suffering of residents.

Al-Hijri described the recent violence in Suwayda as a “brutal crime,” adding that “the pure blood spilled on Suwayda’s soil will not be in vain, but will serve as a beacon of dignity and resilience.”

Urging the Druze community to unite, support the families of the victims, he emphasized facilitating the work of medical teams and groups documenting the violations. 

The declaration comes one day after a ceasefire agreement was announced in the province, following intense clashes between Druze local factions and tribal groups that left more than 350 people dead over the past several days.