For 2nd day, 'outlaw groups' prevent students from taking exams in Syria's Suwayda

Students in Syria's southern province of Suwayda were prevented from reaching exam centers for the second day on Sunday after “outlaw groups” blocked roads in the area, Al-Ikhbariya TV reported.

According to the broadcaster, "outlaw groups” set up three new checkpoints on the Suwayda-Shahba road to prevent students from taking their exams in the northern countryside of Suwayda.

The television said members of these groups attacked students as they bypassed the checkpoints on foot.

"Civil defense and Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society teams are stationed around the centers to provide support and respond to any emergency during the exam period," the channel said.

On Aug. 17, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued a decree granting students in Suwayda an exceptional exam session for those who were unable to sit for or complete this year’s exams.

The decision came after similar incidents in which armed groups affiliated with Hikmat al-Hijri, a Druze leader in Suwayda, prevented students from reaching their exam centers as part of attempts to paralyze public life in the province, which has been subject to a ceasefire agreement since July 2025.

Following the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime, al-Hijri had called for Suwayda to break away from the central government and gain what he termed “independence," while establishing close ties with Israel and receiving public support from it.