Last night a reconciliation agreement was reached between the parties involved in tensions that have rocked Jdeidet Artouz in the southern Damascus countryside since Thursday.
The agreement was announced by Sari Badr al-Din, the director of the Qatana district in the Damascus countryside, after a reconciliation session at Al-Rahman Mosque in the town. The meeting was attended by local dignitaries from Jdeidet Artouz as well as tribal leaders from Deir ez-Zor.
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Joint Committee to Investigate Incident
Syrian News reports that the reconciliation meeting led to the agreement to establish a joint committee to probe into the events that led to the incident, to hear the grievances of the affected people and to bring justice to the parties involved.
The participants also accepted to hold those responsible liable before the law and denied the calls of division, incitement and violence.
During the session, Badr al-Din stated that the reconciliation was made possible by the joint efforts of the local residents, community leaders and officials. He thanked the people of Jdeidet Artouz and Deir ez-Zor for their efforts to restore calm.
He explained that the incident was exaggerated by the media and social media and that the situation was not merely an isolated case. He further stated that the people living in the region were on the side of the state in what he termed as a sensitive time of establishing state institutions.
Wael Ahmed, the director of public relations of the Military Police also confirmed that the crisis in Jdeidet Artouz was contained.
In remarks to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Ahmed indicated that Public Security forces in the Damascus countryside had been responding since the start, using checkpoints and patrols to ensure security and safeguard both public and private property.
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Security Forces Deployed After Mass Brawl
On August 27, the Internal Security Forces entered Jdeidet Artouz after a mass brawl led to tensions in the town. Security forces then conducted a massive operation to bring sanity and avoid further deterioration.
The governorate encouraged citizens to obey the law, use official institutions to solve conflicts and collaborate with security agencies to assist in ensuring security, stability and order in the society.
Authorities Accuse Rumors and Social Media Incitement
Ayad Obeid, the leader of the reconciliation committee in Jdeidet Artouz, told SANA that the incident started with a small conflict but was later exaggerated by social media pages, which he claimed helped escalate the situation into a far bigger conflict.
Sheikh Nouri Al-Mashkar, a leading figure in the Deir ez-Zor community in Jdeidet Artouz, also reported that the conflict intensified due to rumors and incitement on social media.
He attributed the containment of the situation to the intervention of residents, community elders and security forces.
The initial conflict is said to have started after an argument between the inhabitants of Jdeidet Artouz and a family of Deir ez-Zor who resided in the town. Internal Security Forces and local dignitaries came in to settle the dispute but the next day tensions rose once again.
Calm was eventually restored to the area after security forces strengthened their presence and increased patrols throughout the town.