Hundreds of residents living in the rebel-held district of Hamourieh in the Eastern Ghouta took the streets on Friday to voice anger as living conditions became unbearably dire.
The demonstrators called on rebel commands to join forces in order to break the 3 year-long siege imposed by the Syrian Army, and hold accountable those responsible for the deteriorating situations.
The angry crowd marched the town and reached the doorsteps of Faylaq Al-Rahman headquarters where the guards randomly opened fire, killing a young man, Bilal Al-Rifaee, and injuring others.
The shooting further exacerbated the already enraged protestors who broke into the headquarters and arrested its commander ‘Abu Al-Nasr” and a senior leader ‘Abu Khalil Al-Sa’our”. The arrested was severely beaten in public and then handed in to the Joint Judicial Council (JJC).
Later on, the (JJC) released the detainees and vowed to establish a committee to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators into justice.
Faylaq Al-Rahman, roughly translated as [“Legion of the Merciful”], is an alliance of various brigades and legions mainly active in Jobar, Zamalka and Harasta in Damascus countryside.
The Legion is led by Abu Al-Nasr, the pseudonym of Abdul Nasser Shumier, and is seen as the rival of Jaysh Al-Islam led by Zahran Alloush.
