MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. The attempts of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to pin the blame on Damascus for the terror attacks committed by the terror organization Islamic State (IS, outlawed in Russia) in Syria’s As-Suwayda Governorate discredit this office, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday, commenting on the OHCHR’s statements that the attacks were conducted by the militants transported to As-Suwayda as part of the alleged deal between the Syrian government and IS.
"The attempts to pin the blame on the Syrian government for the terror attacks committed by ISIS (the former name for IS) in the southwest of the country misrepresent the actual situation in Syria," she said. "Unfortunately, in this case we see hearsay by the UN members over the tragedy of the people who became victims of the terror attack, which discredits the high commissioner for human rights and the office which he heads."
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani earlier stated that the IS militants who committed atrocities in As-Suwayda had been earlier evacuated there from other Syrian regions under ceasefire agreements. She explained that, according to the information which OHCHR has at its disposal, these agreements gave a choice to the armed groups: to reconcile with the government or to be displaced to other regions of the country which are not controlled by the government." In light of this, Shamdasani called on the Syrian government not to threaten the lives of civilians.
On July 25, several terror attacks were conducted in the As-Suwayda Governorate in southern Syria. First, a massive blast shook the Souq El-Hadra market in the city of As-Suwayda (92 km from Damascus). Then an explosion in the Al Maslakh district was reported. The terror attacks were followed by the militants’ attacks on the communities located on the city outskirts.