Syria clears Bedouin fighters from Suwayda city, declares halt to clashes
The announcement on Saturday came after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ordered a new ceasefire between Bedouin and Druze groups, following a separate United States-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military attacks on Syria.
Shortly before the government's claim, there were reports of machinegun fire in the city of Suwayda as well as mortar shelling in nearby villages.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Nour al-Din Baba, a spokesman for the Syrian Ministry of Interior, said in a statement carried by the official Sana news agency that the fighting ended 'following intensive efforts' to implement the ceasefire agreement and the deployment of government forces in the northern and western areas of Suwayda province.
He said the city of Suwayda, located in the province's west, has now been 'cleared of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city's neighbourhoods have been brought to a halt'.Domino effect
The fighting broke out last week when the abduction of a Druze truck driver on a public highway set off a series of revenge attacks and resulted in tribal fighters from all over the country streaming into Suwayda in support of the Bedouin community there.
The clashes drew in Syrian government troops, too.
Israel began attacking on Wednesday, carrying out heavy air attacks on Suwayda and Syria's capital, Damascus, claiming it was to protect the Druze community after some members of the minority group accused government forces of abuses against them.
Syrian government troops withdrew from Suwayda on Thursday.
At least 260 people have been killed in the fighting, and 1,700 others have been wounded, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health. Other groups, however, put the figure at more than 900 killed.
More than 87,000 people have also been displaced.
The fighting is the latest challenge to al-Sharaa's government, which took over after toppling President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Al-Sharaa, in a televised statement on Saturday, called on all parties to lay down arms and help the government restore peace.
'While we thank the [Bedouin] clans for their heroic stance, we call on them to adhere to the ceasefire and follow the orders of the state,' he said. 'All should understand this moment requires unity and full cooperation, so we can overcome these challenges and preserve our country from foreign interference and internal sedition.'
He condemned Israel's attacks, saying it 'pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability'.After the president's announcement, the Syrian government began deploying troops to Suwayda and Bedouin groups said they would withdraw from the city of Suwayda.
'Following consultations with all members of Suwayda's clans and tribes, we have decided to adhere to the ceasefire, prioritise reason and restraint, and allow the state's authorised institutions the space to carry out their responsibilities in restoring security and stability,' the Bedouin factions said in a statement.
'Therefore, we declare that all our fighters have been withdrawn from the city of Suwayda,' they added.
Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall, reporting from Damascus, said the Druze, too, seemed to have accepted the truce.
'Hikmat Al Hajri, a prominent spiritual leader, has called for all Bedouin fighters to be escorted safely out of Suwayda,' he said.
'Security forces from the interior ministry have been deployed to help separate rival groups, and oversee the implementation of the ceasefire. But there are still reports of ongoing fighting in the city, with some Druze leaders voicing strong opposition to the cessation of hostilities,' he said.
'So while there is hope, there is also doubt that this conflict is over,' Vall added.
World welcomes truce
Jordan, meanwhile, hosted talks with Syria and the US on efforts to consolidate the ceasefire in Suwayda.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shibani and the US special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barak, 'discussed the situation in Syria and efforts to consolidate the ceasefire reached around Suwayda Governorate to prevent bloodshed and preserve the safety of civilians', according to a readout by the Jordanian government.
The three officials agreed on 'practical steps' to support the ceasefire, including the release of detainees held by all parties, Syrian security force deployments and community reconciliation efforts.
Safadi also welcomed the Syrian government's 'commitment to holding accountable all those responsible for violations against Syrian citizens' in the Suwayda area, the statement said.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented on the developments in Syria in a post on X, urging Syrian government troops to prevent fighters from entering Suwayda and 'carrying out massacres'.
'They must hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks,' he said. 'Furthermore the fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups inside the perimeter must also stop immediately.'
Countries around the world also called for the truce to be upheld.
The United Kingdom's foreign secretary, David Lammy, said in a post on X that he was horrified by the violence in southern Syria and that 'a sustainable ceasefire is vital'.
France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs stressed the need for 'Syrian authorities to ensure the safety and rights of all segments of the Syrian people', and called for investigations into abuses against civilians in Suwayda.
Japan also expressed concern over the violence, including the Israeli strikes, and called for the ceasefire to be implemented swiftly.
It added that it 'strongly urges all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint, preserve Syria's territorial integrity and national unity, and respect its independence and sovereignty'.
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Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who has been perceived as more sympathetic to the Bedouins, had tried to appeal to the Druze community while remaining critical of the militias. He later urged the Bedouins to leave the city, saying they 'cannot replace the role of the state in handling the country's affairs and restoring security.' 'We thank the Bedouins for their heroic stances but demand they fully commit to the ceasefire and comply with the state's orders,' he said in an address broadcast Saturday. Dozens of armed Bedouin fighters alongside other clans from around the country who came to support them remained on the outskirts of the city and were cordoned off by government security forces and military police. They blame the clashes on the Druze factions loyal to spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri and accuse them of harming Bedouin families. 'We will not leave until he turns himself in alongside those with him who tried to stir sedition. And only then will we go home.' 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Al-Hijri did not directly respond to the accusations but said in a statement that he welcomes any assistance for Sweida and decried what he claims were distorted campaigns against him. 'We reaffirm that we have no dispute with anyone on any religious or ethnic basis,' the statement read. 'Shame and disgrace be upon all those who seek to sow discord and hatred in the minds of young people.' The U.N. International Organization for Migration said 128,571 people were displaced during the clashes, including 43,000 on Saturday alone. Washington's special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said the clashes and atrocities 'overshadowed' an initial cautious optimism about the country's postwar transition and the international community's lifting of sanctions. 'All factions must immediately lay down their arms, cease hostilities and abandon cycles of tribal vengeance,' Barrack said on X. 'Syria stands at a critical juncture — peace and dialogue must prevail — and prevail now.' Among those killed in the weeklong fighting were dozens of Druze civilians slain in a series of targeted attacks in Sweida city at the hands of Bedouin fighters and government forces. Videos surfaced online of fighters destroying portraits of Druze religious officials and notables in homes, and shaving the mustaches of elderly Druze, seen as an insult to culture and tradition. Druze militias in return attacked Bedouin-majority areas on the outskirts of the province, forcing families to flee to neighboring Daraa province. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. Syria's Druze largely celebrated the Assad family's downfall, which ended decades of autocratic rule. While they had concerns about Al-Sharaa's de facto Islamist rule, a large number wanted to approach matters diplomatically. Al-Hijri and his supporters, though, have taken a more confrontational approach with the interim president, contrary to most other influential Druze figures. Critics also note Al-Hijri's previous allegiance to ousted President Bashar Assad. But the recent clashes and sectarian attacks on the minority community have made a growing number of Druze in the area more skeptical about Damascus' new leadership and more doubtful of peaceful coexistence. Alsayed and Chehayeb write for the Associated Press and reported from Mazraa and Beirut, respectively.
