Today, Thursday, August 22, the head of the General Intelligence Directorate in Syria, Major General Hussam Luka, met with representatives from the residents of Talbiseh in the northern countryside of Homs. This is the third time in the past two months.

The meeting coincided with military crowds of Syrian regime forces, most of them from the Air Force Intelligence, gathered mainly near the former Malook checkpoint at the southern entrance of Talbiseh, according to a correspondent from Enab Baladi in the area.

Security settlements for residents are still ongoing since July 19, working at a rate of 100 settlements per day, meaning that the number of individuals who have undergone settlements has exceeded 3,000.

The settlement grants a period of one month for those who fled military service, whether regular or reserve, to return to their military units, and a period of six months for those who are behind in both reserve and regular services to join the army.

Additionally, the current settlement, the third so far in the city, grants a six-month period for those with legal and criminal issues to review their cases in court and settle their matters without being detained.

Although the settlement has alleviated some problems in the city, especially regarding the spread of weapons, residents see it as unfair given the poor economic conditions the region is experiencing. They have demanded an end to the military and reserve service summons, as well as the release of deserters or an increase in salaries to match living requirements.

Other demands include improving economic conditions and allowing Talbiseh residents to move within cities and provinces in search of their daily sustenance without facing security harassment, regardless of their status. At the forefront of the demands was the release and disclosure of the fate of detainees.

The main reason for the military crowds and today’s meeting, according to Luka, is that the city, despite ongoing settlements, still contains many who are guilty of possessing weapons and have not handed them over to complete their settlements.

During the settlement period, five kidnappings, two murders, two attempted murders, and numerous car thefts have occurred, on top of seven robbery and looting incidents.

A one-week ultimatum, Families comment

Reactions among residents vary, with some rejecting the threats and ongoing campaign, considering that it will bring greater tragedies to the city, others supporting it to eliminate what they describe as societal deviance, and some remaining neutral, viewing the existing gangs as an extension of the security forces executing their orders.

In turn, the Council of Families in Talbiseh issued a statement, obtained by Enab Baladi, stating that the government does not wish for a security solution in Talbiseh, but Luka has given the city a final one-week ultimatum before starting to pursue the wanted individuals.

The statement mentioned that after the security and military committee visited Talbiseh for the fourth time in one month, Luka confirmed that “the state does not wish for security action. However, the persistence of some individuals in rejecting the (settlement) and not handing over their weapons, continued kidnappings and robbery, drug trafficking, and possession of stolen cars by some of those who have undergone settlement necessitate state intervention to protect its citizens.”

According to the council’s statement, Luka gave the city’s residents a final one-week ultimatum ending next Thursday, August 29, “to urge those breaking the law to come to their senses and not persist in falsehood and crime.”

Luka confirmed that if there is non-compliance, there will be a security campaign against those individuals without targeting any of the city’s residents. He stated that it is up to the families of the city to deter these individuals to avoid security action.

Luka mentioned that “those committing crimes will be the reason for the security units entering Talbiseh, and it is left to every honorable citizen of the city.”

Local community pages and the Council of Families called on these individuals to hand over their weapons, release the kidnapped, and return stolen cars to avoid a “great sedition that could harm many people,” abstaining from firing in celebrations and not carrying weapons for any reason.

The third settlement

This is the third settlement for the city since the settlement agreement that took place in mid-2018, under Russian sponsorship, which the regime denied and did not adhere to any of its terms.

On June 14, 2023, a security delegation representing the regime in the area conducted a round of negotiations with dignitaries from the city of Talbiseh to discuss the tense security situation in the city and continue the negotiations that began about a month ago, which ended with an agreement to carry out settlements for the wanted individuals from the city in exchange for revealing the fate of detainees by the Syrian regime.

The area is still classified as a de-escalation zone, under the agreement signed on May 4, 2017, known as the Astana agreement, sponsored by (Russia-Iran-Turkey), which aimed to establish four safe zones in Syria. However, the regime prohibits all manifestations of opposing political activity in the city.

Despite the absence of security campaigns and arrests inside the city, many cases of arbitrary detention outside the city have been recorded, all of whom were subjected to torture, and some lost their lives in detention centers.