Syria: Druze militia accuses Damascus of attacking Sweida countryside

DAMASCUS, Syria — DAMASCUS — Internal Security forces in southern Syria said they responded to "illegal groups" attempting to storm security posts in the Sweida countryside, the Syrian state news agency reported. Unidentified armed groups struck the village of Al-Mansura in the Sweida countryside with drones, wounding two security personnel during the exchange, according to the agency. The National Guard Command, which represents the Druze community, said forces affiliated with the Syrian transitional government opened mortar and 23mm machine-gun fire on the western axis of Sweida city. The command said the shelling occurred around 7:30 p.m. and wounded a child with shrapnel, in addition to causing material damage. The National Guard Command described the government's actions as a "random attack" and a "revenge-driven policy," pledging that the strikes would be met with an "appropriate response" and that necessary measures would be taken to secure the area. The Druze community in Sweida has so far withheld recognition of the central Syrian government headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa. No further details were immediately available on casualties or a potential escalation.