Local sources said that the governorate of As-Suwayda in southern Syria has been witnessing a state of tension since yesterday, Sunday, after a group affiliated with the regime’s Military Intelligence Division, led by Raji Falhout, kidnapped at least three civilians, including two from the town of Al-Qurayya, due to personal disputes between him and Samer Al-Hakim, Leader of the Counter-Terrorism Force.

"As-Suwayda 24" website said that a local armed group calling itself "Ghiari al-Qarya" and all of its members from the town of al-Qurayya announced the mobilization of its members, and given only one hour to Raji Falhout group, until one of the kidnapped, Muhammad al-Abdullah, was released.

The website added, according to the opposition Syria TV, that the group warned, in the event that Falhout did not respond, that it would target his house in the town of Attil with mortars, medium weapons and RBGs, and also threatened to target his operators in the Military Security branch in Suwayda and the branches that work with him.

The group called on the people near Falhout's house to evacuate their homes in order to preserve their lives and to prevent them from being exposed to any kind of violence, in reference to the size of the expected escalation that might happen.

According to "Al- Suwayda 24", the Raji Falhout group had set up a checkpoint on Al-Shaer roundabout in the town of Attil, on Sunday, and kidnapped a university student from Al-Hakim family.

Then, gunmen from the group went to the wheat market in the city of As-Suwayda, and raided a store for the citizen, Muhammad Al-Abdullah, and kidnapped him at gunpoint, along with lawyer Mazen Shukair, whose release was later reported.

The kidnappings come after Anti-Terrorism Force kidnapped two people affiliated with Raji Falhout group, and broadcast "confessions" to them that they were planning to kill Samer Al-Hakim, the leader of "Anti-Terrorism Force".