A local news network in Sweida posted a video of the governorate’s women who have been abducted by the “Islamic State” (ISIS), in which they confirmed being fine and demanded to be released.
The video, posted by the “Sweida Women Abductees,” on Wednesday, September 12, featured Rasmieh Abu Ammar, the oldest of the abductees as saying that all the women captured by the “Islamic State” are fine and unharmed.
All the abducted women, 21 women, appeared in the video, in addition to eight children.
The official media has accused the “Islamic State” of kidnapping them during the July Attack, which targeted Sweida, causing the death of more than 200 people, including women and children.
The kidnapped women, appearing in the video, spoke of the Syrian regime’s and its Russian ally negligence in relation to the negotiations file, and said that none of the concerned states has been trying to conduct negotiations and release them from their prison.
According to the “Sweida Women Abductees” page, the “Islamic State” sent the video on Tuesday, stressing the safety of the abductees, both children and women, and that it came as a response to the negotiation Committee’s order, which is assigned the cause’s file, after the “negotiations between the two parties have failed for the fifth time.”
Following the failure of the negotiations conducted by the Sweida committee and the “Islamic Sate” early in August, Russia took control of the process, seeking the release of the abductees.
However, Russia’s efforts did not prove a success so far, in the shadow of the large-scale battle it is undertaking as to eliminate the “Islamic State” ‘s enclaves in the Sweida desert to release the abductees.
The negotiation delegation refused the conditions proposed by the “Islamic State” last July, which included the release of its prisoners, men and women, held by the Syrian regime, the withdrawal of Assad’s forces from the Sweida territories, the Mountain (Sweida) People’s refrain from fighting alongside Assad’s forces, in addition to refrain from using Sweida lands in battles against it.
Last July, the “Islamic State” launched a large-scale attack against the eastern countryside of Sweida, the death toll of which rose to 200 civilians, in addition to the abduction of about 30 people, most of whom are women and children.
So far, the “Islamic State” did not officially adopt the kidnapping process.