Syria Deploys Forces After Dozens Killed In Bedouin-Druze Clashes
The outbreak of sectarian violence underscores the challenges facing the administration of interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces overthrew president Bashar al-Assad in December, in a country reeling from 14 years of war.
The latest fighting, which began Sunday, continued sporadically into Monday in several villages, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor and the Suwayda 24 news outlet.
The clashes reportedly erupted when a Druze vegetable vendor was seized by armed Bedouins on the main highway linking Sweida to Damascus.
The incident triggered a series of retaliatory abductions by both sides. Suwayda 24 said those abducted were released Sunday night.
The Observatory raised its death toll Monday to 50, including 34 Druze -- among them two children -- 10 Bedouins and six members of the security forces. State television confirmed six deaths among the security forces.
The highway between Damascus and Sweida remained closed, said the Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources on the ground.
The defence ministry put the toll at 30 dead and around 100 wounded.
Dozens more have been wounded amid armed clashes and mortar fire in Sweida city and nearby villages.
Syria's defence and interior ministries announced the deployment of military units to the affected areas, the establishment of safe corridors for civilians, and a commitment to "end the clashes quickly and decisively".
"The lack of state, military and security institutions is a major reason for the ongoing tensions in Sweida," Interior Minister Anas Khattab said Sunday on X.
"The only solution is to reactivate these institutions to ensure civil peace," he added.
The latest unrest follows deadly violence in April and May, when clashes between Druze fighters and security forces in Druze-populated areas near Damascus and Sweida killed more than 100 people.
The Observatory said members of Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslim, had sided with security forces during earlier confrontations.
Local leaders and religious figures brokered agreements at the time to de-escalate the tensions, putting Druze fighters in charge of local security in Sweida since May, though armed Bedouins remain present in several areas.
On Sunday, Sweida governor Mustapha al-Bakur urged his constituents to "exercise self-restraint", while Druze community leaders urged authorities to step in.
In response to the violence, the education ministry announced the postponement of Monday's scheduled secondary school exams in the province.
Syria's pre-civil war Druze population numbers around 700,000, many in Sweida province.
The Druze, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shiite Islam, are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, and violence occasionally erupts between the two.
A surge in violence in March targeting the Alawite community -- with more than 1,700 killed -- and the subsequent attacks on Druze areas have undermined confidence in the new Syrian authorities' ability to protect minorities.
In the wake of those incidents, Israel -- which has occupied part of Syria's Golan Heights since 1967 -- cited the protection of the Druze to justify several strikes, including one in early May near the presidential palace in Damascus.
Israel is home to around 152,000 Druze, according to the latest available data, including 24,000 living in the Israeli-occupied Golan, of whom fewer than five percent hold Israeli citizenship.
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DW
an hour ago
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Middle East: Syrian military declares ceasefire in Sweida – DW – 07/15/2025
The Syrian defense minister announced a ceasefire in Sweida, a predominantly Druze city. Meanwhile, Israel launched strikes on southern Syria, claiming the goal was to protect the Druze community. DW has the latest. After deadly clashes between Druze residents and Sunni Bedouins in Sweida, the Syrian military entered the southern city. Shortly after government forces entered the city, Syria's defense minister announced a ceasefire. Meanwhile, in response to the government's intervention, Israel launched military strikes on southern Syria, saying it was a move to protect the Druze ministers from the EU's 27 member nations are meeting in Brussels following a new deal with Israel to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met with EU leaders after agreeing to allow food and fuel into the besieged coastal enclave. The details of the agreement are still unclear, but EU officials have rejected cooperating with the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund due to ethical and safety concerns. The priority is opening more border crossings and allowing more aid trucks into Gaza, but officials say they eventually want to set up a monitoring station at the Kerem Shalom crossing. According to Kaja Kallas, the bloc's foreign policy chief, the European Union is seeking updates from Israel on the implementation of the new deal. Meanwhile, Kallas proposed ten potential steps after Israel was found to have violated a cooperation agreement between Israel and the EU due to human rights violations. The measures range from suspending the entire agreement to curbing trade ties, sanctioning Israeli ministers, imposing an arms embargo and halting visa-free travel. Despite growing anger over the devastation in Gaza, EU states remain divided on how to address Israel, and diplomats say there is not enough support for any action. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Syria's Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a ceasefire shortly after government forces entered the predominantly Druze city of Sweida. In a statement, he said that after an agreement with the city's "notables and dignitaries, we will respond only to the sources of fire and deal with any targeting by outlaw groups." The government intervened due to deadly clashes between Druze and Sunni Bedouin residents. The latest sectarian violence in Syria began with tit-for-tat abductions and attacks between members of local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed groups. On Monday, Syrian government security forces, sent to restore order, clashed with Druze armed groups. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 100 people have been killed in the fighting since Sunday. Welcome to DW's coverage on the latest developments in the Middle East. We begin with the escalation in southern Syria where — following clashes between Druze and Sunni Bedouin groups — Syrian government troops entered Sweida, a predominantly Druze city. This prompted Israeli airstrikes. Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the EU's 27 member nations are meeting in Brussels to discuss a deal with Israel that would increase aid to Gaza. Stay with us for more news and analysis.
Int'l Business Times
9 hours ago
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Syrian Forces Enter Druze City After Deadly Clashes
Syrian government forces entered the majority Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday, the interior ministry said, aiming to end clashes with Bedouin tribes that have killed nearly 100 people. The southern city had been under the control of armed factions from the Druze minority, whose religious leaders said they had approved the deployment of Damascus's troops and called on fighters to hand over their weapons. A curfew was to be imposed on the southern city in a bid to halt the violence, which erupted at the weekend and has since spread across Sweida governorate. Government forces said they intervened to separate the two sides but ended up taking control of several Druze areas around Sweida, an AFP correspondent reported. Military columns were seen advancing toward Sweida on Tuesday morning, with heavy artillery deployed nearby. The defence ministry said later that they had entered the city, and urged people to "stay home and report any movements of outlaw groups". An AFP correspondent heard explosions and gunshots as soldiers moved into Sweida. Troops had begun heading towards the city on Monday, taking control of at least one Druze village, with one Druze faction saying talks were underway with the Damascus government. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported 99 people killed since the fighting erupted on Sunday -- 60 Druze, including four civilians, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel and seven unidentified people in military uniforms. The defence ministry reported 18 deaths among the ranks of the armed forces. While Druze religious authorities had called on Monday evening for a ceasefire and said they didn't oppose the central government, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, one of the three Druze spiritual leaders in Sweida, opposed the arrival of the security forces and called for "international protection". Israel, which has attempted to portray itself as a protector of the Druze in Syria and sees them as potential allies, bombed several Syrian tanks on Monday. The strikes were "a clear warning to the Syrian regime -- we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria", said Defence Minister Israel Katz, whose country has its own Druze population. The fighting underscores the challenges facing interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces ousted president Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war. Syria's pre-war Druze population was estimated at around 700,000, many of them concentrated in Sweida province. The Druze, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shiite Islam, are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Following deadly clashes with government forces in April and May, local and religious leaders reached an agreement with Damascus under which Druze fighters had been providing security in the province. "We lived in a state of extreme terror -- the shells were falling randomly," said Abu Taym, a 51-year-old father. Amal, a 46-year-old woman, said: "We fear a repeat of the coastal scenario", referring to massacres in March of more than 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians in northwest Syria, where groups affiliated with the government were blamed for most of the killings. "We are not against the state, but we are against surrendering our weapons without a state that treats everyone the same," she added. In a post on X, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra urged his troops to "protect your fellow citizens" from "outlaw gangs", and to "restore stability to Sweida". The violence began on Sunday when Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor on the highway to Damascus, prompting retaliatory kidnappings. The Observatory said members of Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslims, had sided with security forces during earlier confrontations with the Druze. Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, and violence occasionally erupts between the two sides. The fighting has killed around 100 people in the southern Syrian region AFP Israel, which says it is protecting the Druze, launched strikes on Syrian government forces AFP
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Int'l Business Times
Syria Deploys Forces After Dozens Killed In Bedouin-Druze Clashes
Syria deployed security forces Monday in the southern province of Sweida after at least 50 people were killed in clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters, a monitor said. The outbreak of sectarian violence underscores the challenges facing the administration of interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces overthrew president Bashar al-Assad in December, in a country reeling from 14 years of war. The latest fighting, which began Sunday, continued sporadically into Monday in several villages, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor and the Suwayda 24 news outlet. The clashes reportedly erupted when a Druze vegetable vendor was seized by armed Bedouins on the main highway linking Sweida to Damascus. The incident triggered a series of retaliatory abductions by both sides. Suwayda 24 said those abducted were released Sunday night. The Observatory raised its death toll Monday to 50, including 34 Druze -- among them two children -- 10 Bedouins and six members of the security forces. State television confirmed six deaths among the security forces. The highway between Damascus and Sweida remained closed, said the Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources on the ground. The defence ministry put the toll at 30 dead and around 100 wounded. Dozens more have been wounded amid armed clashes and mortar fire in Sweida city and nearby villages. Syria's defence and interior ministries announced the deployment of military units to the affected areas, the establishment of safe corridors for civilians, and a commitment to "end the clashes quickly and decisively". "The lack of state, military and security institutions is a major reason for the ongoing tensions in Sweida," Interior Minister Anas Khattab said Sunday on X. "The only solution is to reactivate these institutions to ensure civil peace," he added. The latest unrest follows deadly violence in April and May, when clashes between Druze fighters and security forces in Druze-populated areas near Damascus and Sweida killed more than 100 people. The Observatory said members of Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslim, had sided with security forces during earlier confrontations. Local leaders and religious figures brokered agreements at the time to de-escalate the tensions, putting Druze fighters in charge of local security in Sweida since May, though armed Bedouins remain present in several areas. On Sunday, Sweida governor Mustapha al-Bakur urged his constituents to "exercise self-restraint", while Druze community leaders urged authorities to step in. In response to the violence, the education ministry announced the postponement of Monday's scheduled secondary school exams in the province. Syria's pre-civil war Druze population numbers around 700,000, many in Sweida province. The Druze, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shiite Islam, are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, and violence occasionally erupts between the two. A surge in violence in March targeting the Alawite community -- with more than 1,700 killed -- and the subsequent attacks on Druze areas have undermined confidence in the new Syrian authorities' ability to protect minorities. In the wake of those incidents, Israel -- which has occupied part of Syria's Golan Heights since 1967 -- cited the protection of the Druze to justify several strikes, including one in early May near the presidential palace in Damascus. Israel is home to around 152,000 Druze, according to the latest available data, including 24,000 living in the Israeli-occupied Golan, of whom fewer than five percent hold Israeli citizenship.
