Local sources in the Sweida province in southern Syria reported the killing of Maher Falhout, following his arrest by a group belonging to what is known as the "National Guard", affiliated with Sheikh Al-Aql Hikmat Al-Hajri, on charges of cooperating with the Syrian government.
The sources mentioned that Falhout's body was transferred to the National Hospital of Sweida, amid reports of torture, in an incident that sparked a wave of public outrage and fears of escalating repressive practices outside the legal frameworks.
These developments coincided with the killing of Sheikh Raed Al-Mutni, who had been arrested two days earlier on the same charges by the same group, accused of communicating with Damascus. Al-Mutni's body arrived at the hospital with clear signs of torture, according to Syrian media sources.
Recently, Sweida has been witnessing escalated tension between local groups with different orientations, amidst a clear absence of state institutions and growing influence of armed factions.
