Multiple parties... and "kidnapping chaos" threatens to ignite Suwayda.

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

Arab Sea - Follow-ups: A Syrian political source stated on Tuesday that the issue of abductees in Suwayda is facing significant complications due to the multiplicity of kidnapping parties and the divergence of their motives, which has prevented the accurate determination of the number of abductees so far. Data indicates that most detentions occurred for reasons ranging from ransom demands to exchanges for detained individuals, with authorities making efforts to unify the file under a single administration to avoid escalation, reactions, and retaliatory operations. A source, who declined to be identified, said that information regarding the total number of abductees from Suwayda and the opposing side is unknown because the kidnappings were not carried out by a single entity, but by several parties from tribes, Bedouins, and from Hauran and the Bedouins of Suwayda. He added that this situation also applies to the kidnapping parties in Suwayda, where many Bedouin families are being held, some from Hasakah and others from Douma, and each village has detained a group. He mentioned that attempts are currently underway to consolidate the file under one authority to determine the exact number of abductees, but no result has been reached so far because each kidnapping party is holding its hostages for a different purpose; some want a person in exchange for their son or brother, and others want a ransom, and these in particular are the main obstacles, especially since their identity remains unknown as they negotiate through the abductees' phones. He clarified that a recent audit is being conducted on the file of abducted women, as well as the file of missing persons, especially with the discovery of some bodies, and the finding of others in hospitals or their morgues after they were believed to be among the abductees. The source pointed out that a distinction has been made between the file of abductees from within Suwayda and those detained outside its borders, while on the other side, everyone is detained within the borders of Suwayda. He confirmed that an agreement has been reached regarding everyone who was detained outside the borders of Suwayda, such as the groups on the Sahnaya, Daraa, and Souq al-Hal roads, and others, that everyone will work to release them. He mentioned that the release of these individuals contributes to avoiding reactions and reduces kidnapping, counter-kidnapping, and retaliatory operations, thus preventing a slide towards civil war, confirming that 90 percent of them have been released so far. The security authorities in the Suwayda governorate announced the release of a number of kidnapped civilians and their delivery to their families. The head of internal security in Suwayda, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Dalati, said in a video broadcast by the Syrian "Al-Ikhbariya" channel that the incident occurred at the beginning of August when the abductees were heading towards Suwayda from the direction of the city of Sahnaya in the Rif Dimashq governorate, but he did not mention the number of abductees who were released. Al-Dalati called on "everyone who has a missing person in Suwayda to turn to the state," saying that it "will fulfill its responsibilities with all its efforts to determine their fate and return them."