The Damascus-Suwayda road was blocked on Saturday, October 24, amid a protest by families of detainees from Suwayda (southern Syria) held by Syrian authorities. The Syrian government accused the National Guard of being behind the road closure.

The government-run Suwayda Media Directorate said that the Umm al-Zaytoun checkpoint, operated by the National Guard, continued to block the Damascus-Suwayda road, using the families of missing persons as a front.

The directorate added that hundreds of vehicles carrying essential supplies and food were being prevented from passing and were lined up in queues. It noted that one resident had told what it described as a “Bashan propaganda platform” that “food, water, and gasoline are not more important than our children, and the road closure will remain in place indefinitely.”

Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Suwayda reported that families of prisoners and detainees from the governorate blocked the Damascus-Suwayda road on Saturday morning, October 24, protesting the continued detention of their relatives for more than a year. They called on the relevant authorities to secure their release and reveal the fate of those still missing.

The correspondent explained that the road was almost completely blocked in both directions, although emergency medical cases and travelers holding travel reservations were allowed to pass.

According to the correspondent, the latest protest followed a call issued by detainees’ families on Friday under the slogan “The Prisoners Are Not Alone.” The families demanded a resolution to the detainees’ case, information about the fate of those forcibly disappeared, and efforts to finalize a prisoner exchange deal as soon as possible.

The families said their relatives were being held at Adra Prison (Damascus countryside) under harsh conditions, while they continued to suffer from prolonged uncertainty and a lack of information about the fate of several missing persons.

They emphasized that the protest aimed to communicate their demands to the relevant authorities in Suwayda and exert pressure to end the suffering of prisoners and their families, which has continued for more than a year.

Suwayda governorate continues to face the repercussions of the crisis that erupted in July 2025, leading to clashes that ultimately left local factions led by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri in control of most of the governorate, while the government retained control over some rural areas.

More than a year after the crisis began, solutions remain elusive amid differing positions between the government, which demands that Suwayda return to its control, and local factions calling for independence.

Previous Prisoner Exchange

On February 26, Suwayda witnessed a detainee exchange between the Syrian government and the National Guard, resulting in the release of dozens of people held by both sides.

A total of 61 detainees from Suwayda were released in exchange for 30 members of the Defense and Interior Ministries who had been held by the National Guard. The exchange was part of understandings reached following several rounds of US-mediated negotiations.

The exchange followed negotiations mediated by the United States between the Syrian government and Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a spiritual leader of the Druze community, against the backdrop of tensions that had gripped the governorate in July 2025.

On February 24, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported, citing an unnamed source, that Washington was mediating between the two sides over detainees and prisoners in an effort to reach an exchange agreement.

According to the source, the understandings provided for the release of 61 civilians from Suwayda who were being held at Adra Prison in the Damascus countryside, in exchange for the National Guard releasing 30 members of government forces.