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Syria: Attack on governor’s office in Sweida – Shots heard

Attack by dozens of protesters who were protesting the worsening economic situation in Syria occurred on Sunday at the governor’s office in the city of Sweida, with authorities and eyewitnesses speaking of a fire in parts of the building and an exchange of fire.

Earlier, at least 200 people had gathered around the building in the center of the city, whose residents are mainly Druze, chanting slogans calling for the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad, they said, amid soaring prices and economic distress.

According to Syrian state media, dozens of “illegals” attacked the governor’s office and burned files and official documents.

Three eyewitnesses told Reuters the governor was not in the building, which had been evacuated before protesters attacked the offices.

“The governor’s office was completely burned from the inside”said Rayan Maarouf, a political activist and editor-in-chief of Suwayda 24, a local website covering the southern region, who said several people were injured in the exchange of gunfire.

“There was heavy fire”Maarouf told Reuters, adding that it was unclear where the shots came from in the area with a heavy police presence.

A img at the city’s hospital said one civilian treated there succumbed to his gunshot wounds, while another who was also injured by bullets remains in the hospital.

Sweda province has been spared the violence experienced by other parts of Syria since the war began in 2011 when pro-democracy protests against the rule of the Assad family were violently suppressed by security forces.

The Druze minority, whose faith is rooted in Islam, have avoided involvement in Syria’s conflict in which mainly Sunni rebels are fighting Assad.

Many community leaders and Druze top religious leaders refused to enlist in the army.

Syria is going through a deep economic crisis in which a majority of people, after a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions more, are struggling to secure food and other basic goods.

Eyewitnesses in Sweda told Reuters that when protesters entered the building, they took down pictures of Assad.

Source: News Beast

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