logo
Syrian security personnel killed after sectarian clashes

Syrian security personnel killed after sectarian clashes

At least six Syrian troops were killed following clashes in the Druze city of Sweida. (AP pic)
DAMASCUS : Six members of Syria's security forces have been killed in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, a security source told Reuters, after they deployed to halt deadly sectarian clashes that local media reported had resumed today.
Yesterday's fighting between Druze militiamen and Bedouin tribal fighters was the first time that sectarian violence erupted inside the city of Sweida itself, following months of tensions in the broader province.
The fighting left 30 people dead and prompted Syria's security forces to deploy units to the city to restore calm and guarantee safe passage for civilians looking to leave, the defence ministry said in a statement.
But intense clashes broke out again today, local news outlet Sweida24 reported.
At least six Syrian troops were subsequently killed, a defence ministry source told Reuters.
It marked the latest episode of sectarian bloodshed in Syria, where fears among minority groups have surged since Islamist-led rebels toppled president Bashar al-Assad in December, installing their own government and security forces.
Sunni Muslim Arab rebel groups which fought Assad during the war agreed in December to dissolve into the defence ministry but efforts to integrate armed factions from minority groups – including Druze and Kurds – have largely stalled.
In southern Syria, efforts have been further complicated by Israel's stated policy that it would not allow Syria's new army to deploy south of Damascus and that Sweida and neighbouring provinces should make up a demilitarised zone.
Interior minister Anas Khattab said in a written statement carried on state media that the 'absence of state institutions, especially military and security institutions, is a major cause of the ongoing tensions in Sweida and its countryside'.
Yesterday's violence erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida, witnesses said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Israel strikes Syrian city, vows to protect Druze from govt forces
Israel strikes Syrian city, vows to protect Druze from govt forces

Free Malaysia Today

time4 hours ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Israel strikes Syrian city, vows to protect Druze from govt forces

Bursts of gunfire were heard as violence entered a third day in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida. (AFP pic) SWEIDA : Israel carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in the Sweida region of southern Syria today, saying it was acting to protect the Druze minority and vowing to ensure the area near the Israeli border remained demilitarised. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard overhead and saw a damaged tank being towed away from the city, where bursts of gunfire were heard as violence entered a third day. The upsurge in violence in the predominantly Druze city marks the latest challenge for interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa in a corner of Syria where Israel has vowed to protect the Druze minority. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz instructed the military 'to immediately strike regime forces and weaponry that were brought into the Sweida region… for the regime's operations against the Druze', they said in a statement. 'Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel,' they said. 'We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria. Earlier today an influential Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, issued a statement accusing Syrian government forces of breaching a ceasefire and bombarding the city and called on fighters to confront government troops. Syrian defence minister Murhaf Abu Qasra later issued a statement declaring that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon.

Syrian FM's Visit To Malaysia Aims To Revitalise Bilateral Ties, Strategic Cooperation
Syrian FM's Visit To Malaysia Aims To Revitalise Bilateral Ties, Strategic Cooperation

Barnama

time4 hours ago

  • Barnama

Syrian FM's Visit To Malaysia Aims To Revitalise Bilateral Ties, Strategic Cooperation

PUTRAJAYA, July 15 (Bernama) -- Syria's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Hasan Al-Shaibani, will undertake an official visit to Malaysia from July 16 to 17, marking the first visit from the new Syrian Government. In a statement on Tuesday, Malaysia's Foreign Ministry said the visit is aimed at exploring potential areas to reinvigorate bilateral relations and strategic cooperation between Malaysia and Syria. During the visit, it said Al-Shaibani is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Malaysia's Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Israel strikes Syrian forces deployed to Druze-majority Sweida
Israel strikes Syrian forces deployed to Druze-majority Sweida

New Straits Times

time5 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Israel strikes Syrian forces deployed to Druze-majority Sweida

DAMASCUS: Israel launched strikes Tuesday against Syrian government forces in the Druze-majority region of Sweida, saying it was acting to protect the religious minority. Damascus had deployed troops to Sweida after clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes killed more than 100 people. Israel announced its strikes shortly after Syria's defence minister declared a ceasefire in Sweida city, with government forces having entered the city in the morning. While most Druze religious leaders supported the deployment, at least one senior figure called for armed resistance. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz have instructed the Israeli military to immediately strike regime forces and weaponry that were brought into the Sweida region... in order to carry out operations against the Druze," a joint statement said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria," it added. In a statement shortly after, the Israeli military said it had begun hitting military vehicles in the area. Syrian state media also reported strikes. Israel, which has its own Druze population, has sought to portray itself as a defender of the minority group since the overthrow of longtime president Bashar al-Assad in December. It also says it will not allow a Syrian military presence south of Damascus. Analysts, however, say Israel is using the Druze as a pretext for intervention. Damascus, which recently entered diplomatic talks with Israel, did not immediately comment on the strikes. "To all units operating within the city of Sweida, we declare a complete ceasefire after an agreement with the city's notables and dignitaries," Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra posted on X shortly before midday (0900 GMT). "We will respond only to sources of fire and deal with any targeting by outlaw groups," he added. Druze representatives gathered at the residence of key leader Sheikh Youssef Jarbouh to discuss implementing the ceasefire, a source close to the participants said. An AFP correspondent at a city entrance said gunfire subsided after the ceasefire announcement. A photographer saw government troops waving the Syrian flag atop a roundabout. They had earlier reported clashes as government forces entered the city, with Druze spiritual leaders having sent conflicting messages before their arrival. Most had welcomed the deployment, but the influential Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri changed his stance and called in a statement for "resisting this brutal campaign by all available means." 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. The defence ministry urged people to "stay home and report any movements of outlaw groups." Abu Qasra said defence ministry units were undertaking "combing operations" in Sweida city and would hand the areas over to the forces of the interior ministry once they were completed. 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. 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 earlier reported 116 people killed since the fighting erupted on Sunday – 64 Druze, including four civilians, as well as 52 members of the government forces and Bedouin tribes. The defence ministry reported 18 deaths among the ranks of the armed forces. The fighting underscores the challenges facing interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose forces ousted Assad after nearly 14 years of civil war. Syria's pre-war Druze population was estimated at around 700,000, mostly concentrated in Sweida province. Followers of an esoteric offshoot of Shiite Islam, the Druze are primarily 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. 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. 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.--AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store