Druze-Bedouin clashes in Syria leave 89 dead
The surge in violence has turned Sweida province, long considered one of Syria's more stable regions, into a battleground.
As chaos spread across villages near Sweida city, the Israeli Occupation announced it had struck "several tanks" in the area, citing its longstanding pledge to intervene in Syria to defend the Druze community.
The violence reportedly began on Sunday after Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor along the Damascus highway. The kidnapping sparked swift retaliatory abductions and ignited armed confrontations in multiple parts of Sweida province.
Despite hostages being released, the fighting continued into Monday, with mortar rounds hitting several villages. Streets in Sweida city emptied, shops shuttered, and funerals for the dead were marked by sporadic gunfire.
'We lived in a state of extreme terror — the shells were falling randomly,' said Abu Taym, a 51-year-old resident. 'Traffic on the streets is paralysed, and most shops are closed.'
Local media outlet Suwayda 24 reported a high number of wounded arriving at hospitals, with many transported to medical facilities in Damascus. The news outlet said casualties stemmed from shelling in the western countryside and ongoing clashes around the city.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed at least 89 fatalities, including 46 Druze, 18 Bedouin, 4 civilians, 7 unidentified men in military attire, and 6 members of the security forces, according to a separate statement broadcast by Syria's Al-Ekhbariya TV.
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