The first casualty of the anti-government protests in Syria’s southern province of Sweida has been reported. A 52-year-old man was shot and killed by security forces guarding a government building during a protest against President Bashar al-Assad. Local news website Suwayda24 confirmed the fatality, with the spiritual head of the Druze sect, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, calling the man a martyr. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also verified the death, stating that pro-government forces fired into the air to disperse the crowd, resulting in the fatal shooting. Demonstrators had gathered in front of a state office building to voice their discontent with economic conditions and rising inflation levels. The protests in Sweida, typically a peaceful region, began last year but escalated due to anti-Assad sentiment. The protesters have demanded political changes and targeted symbols of the ruling Baath party in the province. Meanwhile, the Syrian government, backed by Russia and Iran, continues to carry out attacks on opposition-controlled areas in northwest Syria.