Syria's Sweida fighting leaves over 60 casualties
At least 60 people were killed or wounded in armed clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribesmen in Syria's southern Sweida province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Sunday.
The violence erupted in al-Muqawwas neighborhood and spread to nearby areas as both sides exchanged gunfire and shelling. The Observatory confirmed that 17 Druze and 4 Bedouins were dead, while 50 others—including children and several in critical condition—were injured.
#المرصد_السوري نزوح جماعي واشتباكات واسـ ـتـ ـهداف بلدات في تصعيد أمـ ـنـ ـي خطير في #السويداء.. وارتفاع عدد القـ ـتـ ـلى إلى 21 شخصا https://t.co/csP4Q8NAY8
— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) July 13, 2025
Stemming from a spiral of retaliation, the escalation began after armed tribesmen allegedly beat, robbed, and abandoned a Druze youth near al-Masmiyya. In response, Druze fighters abducted tribal members, prompting counter-seizures and a blockade of the Damascus–Sweida highway.
Similar clashes in April and May between Druze groups and security forces left dozens dead and led to de-escalation agreements aimed at integrating local fighters into state structures.
In a separate incident in Damascus, unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle fatally shot a 60-year-old man from the Alawite community—the sect to which ousted President Bashar al-Assad belongs.
#المرصد_السوري برصاص مسلحين.. مقـ ـتل سائق سيارة في العاصمة #دمشق
— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) July 13, 2025
According to SOHR, at least 857 people—813 men, 29 women, and 15 children—have been killed across Syria since the start of 2025 in sectarian-driven assassinations.
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