Israel strikes tanks in Syria as government forces clash with militias
At least 30 people have been killed and nearly 100 wounded in fierce clashes between local militias and tribal factions in southern Sweida province, according to Syria's Interior Ministry.
The violence, which erupted over the weekend, continued on Monday as government forces deployed to restore order were drawn into confrontations with local armed groups.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported a higher toll, stating that at least 50 people had died in the fighting, including two children and six members of the security forces.
The unrest began with a series of tit-for-tat kidnappings between members of the Druze religious minority and Sunni Bedouin clans.
According to the observatory, hostilities were triggered when Bedouin tribesmen set up a checkpoint, where they allegedly attacked and robbed a young Druze vegetable vendor.
That incident sparked retaliatory abductions on both sides.
"Some clashes occurred with outlawed armed groups, but our forces are doing their best to prevent any civilian casualties," Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba told state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV, confirming that security forces entered the city early on Monday.
The Interior Ministry called the situation a dangerous escalation, blaming the deterioration in security on 'the absence of relevant official institutions,' which it said had deepened the chaos and hindered the local community's efforts to restore calm.
Israel and the Druze minority
Israel has previously intervened in Syria in defence of the Druze minority.
In May, Israeli forces struck a site near the presidential palace in Damascus, in what was seen as a warning to interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The strike came after dozens were killed in fighting between pro-government gunmen and Druze fighters earlier this year in the town of Sahnaya and the Druze-majority Damascus suburb of Jaramana.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement at the time that Israel 'will not allow the deployment of (Syrian government) forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community.'
In Israel, Druze are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the armed forces.
The Druze — an esoteric group that split from Ismaili Shi'ism in the 10th century — are concentrated in Sweida and in certain Damascus suburbs such as Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.
During Syria's 14-year civil war, Druze factions formed their own militias and have remained largely self-governed.
Since the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, the Druze have been divided on whether to reconcile with the new government in Damascus.
Earlier this year, some Druze groups clashed with security forces aligned with the current authorities.
The Syrian Observatory claimed that government forces had sided with the Bedouins in some confrontations, further complicating an already volatile local power dynamic.
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