Clashes kill at least 89 in southern Syria as Israel strikes tanks

Qatar Tribune

2 days ago

dpa
Damascus
The death toll from fierce fighting in Syria's southern Sweida province has risen to 89, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday, as government troops intervened in the escalating tensions.
The battles are concentrated around the village of Kanaker and the towns of al-Thaala and al-Mazraa, where Druze armed groups were fiercely resisting attacks by Bedouin tribal fighters and units from the Syrian Defence and Interior Ministries.
Among the dead are 50 local Druze, including two children and two women, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 government soldiers, and seven unidentified fighters in military uniforms.
Over 200 people have been injured, many critically, with medical staff overwhelmed and operating under severe shortages in supplies at the Sweida National Hospital.
Local and civil sources told Suwayda 24 Television that 'civilians are experiencing dire humanitarian conditions in some villages under attack in the western Suwayda countryside.'
Meanwhile, an Israeli fighter jet was seen flying over the area, releasing flares, with loud explosions reported.
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Monday that it had targeted several tanks in Sweida province.
A statement said: 'The IDF struck the tanks in order to prevent their arrival to the area. The presence of these assets in southern Syria may pose a threat to the State of Israel. The IDF will not allow the establishment of a military threat in southern Syria and will operate against it.'
A local Druze said the Israelis gave the Syrian government forces a warning not to approach because 'they do not trust them.'
Government soldiers drawn in to Druze-Bedouin dispute According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the violence traces back to the assault and robbery of a Druze youth by tribal gunmen near the town of al-Masmiyah.
Clashes erupted amid escalating tensions between Druze factions and Bedouin tribal groups, igniting a violent confrontation that spread across western Sweida.
During the clashes, mortar fire, drone strikes and heavy weapons were used between the two sides.
A wave of retaliatory kidnappings and road closures followed, culminating in a full-scale armed conflict that drew in government troops.
Druze religious leaders in Sweida have called in a statement for immediate international protection to protect civilians and prevent
bloodshed.
The Syrian Defence Ministry said the intervention to resolve the conflict in Sweida came in response to a need to protect civilians and end the clashes after 48 hours of bloodshed.
'There will be no retreat from efforts to disarm outlawed groups and to restore security and state authority in Sweida. We welcome any initiative that aims to promote civil peace and prevent further bloodshed in the province,' the ministry said.
The Syrian Interior Ministry reported earlier that there had been more than 30 deaths and around 100 injuries in several communities.
Fears of further sectarian violence The clashes pose a new test for the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which came to power six months ago promising national unity and stability.
In December, an Islamist-led rebel alliance led by al-Sharaa ousted longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad after years of civil war. Since then, the new leadership has sought to rebuild ties with the international community.
Internationally, the treatment of minorities in the new Syria is being viewed with particular scepticism. Like al-Sharaa and his companions, the majority of Syrians are Sunni Muslims.
Recurring outbreaks of partly sectarian violence in recent months have fuelled fears among minorities including the Druze, Alawites, Shiite Muslims and Christians.
Three weeks ago, a previously largely unknown jihadist group claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a church in Damascus, which killed at least 25 people and injured more than 60 others.
The Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah (Supporters of the Sunnah Battalions) group has threatened further attacks on religious minorities.