Syria: Heavy Weapons Handover Agreed in Jaramana

By Staff, Agencies

The Syrian government and community leaders in the city of Jaramana, south of Damascus, reached an agreement providing for the latter's immediate handover of heavy weapons, followed by the phased handover of individual arms, with all weapons to be exclusively held by official state institutions, Damascus Countryside Security Chief Hossam al-Tahan announced on Thursday evening.

A couple of days ago, violence erupted in Jaramana following the circulation of an audio recording on social media containing insults against Prophet Muhammad, attributed to a Druze cleric, an act considered criminal under Syrian law.

Several statements from Druze religious leaders condemned the offensive recording. Despite these denouncements, armed groups launched attacks on several Druze-majority areas south of the Syrian capital, which left dozens killed and several others injured amid tensions.

In remarks to the Syrian Arab News Agency [SANA], Al-Tahan noted that the agreement also includes the increased deployment of General Security forces within Jaramana to reinforce stability and restore normalcy, as well as the positioning of Syrian Ministry of Defense units on the city's outskirts to ensure its security.

Separately, the Progressive Socialist Party [PSP] confirmed the conclusion of a peaceful agreement between the Syrian administration and the people of Jaramana aimed at resolving ongoing tensions.

In a related development, the Druze religious leadership in Suweida emphasized that they are "an inseparable part of a unified Syrian homeland," firmly rejecting any form of partition, secession, or division.

In a statement, the leadership reaffirmed its commitment to a nation that includes all Syrians and is free from strife and sectarian divisions, adding, "The blood of the martyrs compels us to remain united and firmly bonded within Syria."

The statement also underscored the need to empower the Ministry of Interior and the judicial police in Suweida using personnel from the city itself, while affirming that securing the Suweida-Damascus Road and maintaining safety across Syrian territory is the responsibility of the state.