DAMASCUS — Outlaw groups have continued to undermine security in southern Syria’s Suwayda province, violating the ceasefire agreement for the third consecutive day, state media reported Saturday.

A security source told the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that “outlaw groups in Suwayda are violating the ceasefire agreement and targeting Internal Security Forces positions along the Walgha axis in the province’s countryside.”

Another security source, speaking to the state-run Alikhbariah TV channel, said the groups also targeted security force positions in the village of Al-Majdal in western Suwayda. No details were provided regarding casualties or the identity of those involved.

On Friday, Suleiman Abdel-Baqi, head of the Internal Security Directorate in Suwayda, told Alikhbariah that no injuries were recorded among security personnel during the latest breach.

He said there were efforts to contain tensions and maintain dialogue, noting that residents have been urging authorities to restore order without bloodshed.

Alikhbariah also reported that Abdel-Baqi accused Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri of bearing responsibility for “dragging Suwayda toward bloodshed,” amid rising friction between local factions.

Earlier Saturday, another security source told the channel that “rebel gangs in Suwayda targeted service facilities in the Mazraa area” in the provincial countryside.

On Thursday, outlaw groups reportedly used mortar shells and heavy machine guns to target the towns of Walgha, Tel al-Aqra’, Tel Hadid, and Mazraa.

Suwayda has been observing a ceasefire since July 19 following a weeklong bout of clashes between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes that left hundreds dead.

Since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in late 2024, Syria’s transitional administration has implemented a series of security, political, and economic measures aimed at stabilizing the country, while pursuing reconciliation initiatives and expanding cooperation with regional and international partners.

Assad fled to Russia in December, ending nearly 25 years in power and bringing an end to the Baath Party regime that ruled since 1963. — Agencies