Suwayda prisoner escape triggers raids, arrests, defections & leadership coup

Note: this article is covering a fast evolving situation. It may be subject to updates. It is based on information provided by 4 well-placed sources, as well as local media reporting.

In the early hours of Friday June 5, three Arab men were broken out of their prison cell in Suwayda city and with the help of a team of Druze militiamen, smuggled their way through Suwayda’s western countryside and crossed by foot into government-held areas in Daraa. There, they were met by officers from the Ministry of Interior and General Intelligence Directorate, who’d helped plan and orchestrate their escape over recent months.