26 killed in twin bombings in Syria's Swaida

Two explosions rocked the predominantly-Druze city of Swaida in southern Syria on Friday, leaving at least 26 people killed, activists and state-run TV reported.

The first blast took place at the Daher al-Jabal area in Swiada, in which four people were killed and 11 others wounded, said the TV.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hammoud Hinnawi, one of the most prominent Druze Sheikh in Swaida, told Xinhua agency that the Daher al-Jabal blast was caused by an explosive device that tore through the car of Sheikh Wahid al-Balous, a Druze spiritual leader and outspoken critic of the Syrian regime.

The Lebanese al-Bina'a newspaper said Balous and his assistance were killed in the blast.

Balous enjoyed a rising popularity in Swaida recently despite his outspoken criticism of the Syrian regime.

His group was said to have been coordinating indirectly with rebels from the Free Syrian Army, which enjoys some sway in the adjacent city of Daraa.

Killing of Balous has sparked outrage in the main Druze stronghold, people who flooded into streets of Swaida have burned the statue of Syria's former president Hafez al-Assad, a move recalled the beginnings of Syrian revolution.

Activists told Zaman al-Wasl that Balous supporters have attacked the military intelligence building, killing 6 soldiers.

The governor of Swaida, Atef al-Naddaf, said the blasts aim to stir sedition in Swaida, which has remained largely clam during the country's long-running conflict.

The Druze minority, along with other minority groups in Syria, has emerged as supporters of President Bashar al-Assad, fearing the expansion of radical jihadist groups that showed no tolerance of minority groups in Syria.

However, the Druze support of the Syrian regime didn't stop them from criticizing the government's conduct in that city near the Jordanian borders.

Last week, several dozens of people staged protests before government institutions in Swaida, urging for reforms.

Due to its proximity to the southern province of Daraa, which has largely fallen to jihadi groups, the Druze in Swaida formed their own militias to defend their city against the threats of the jihadists, which attacked some areas in the countryside of Swaida in recent months.

Those local militias, while formed in coordination with the Syrian army, enjoy some independency as their ranks is largely formed by volunteers. (With Xinhua)