2 days ago
16 Syrian troops killed in Suwayda clashes
Shafaq News - Suwayda
Syria's Ministry of Defense confirmed on Monday that 16 of its members were killed while attempting to contain escalating clashes in the southern city of Suwayda.
In a statement, the ministry blamed unidentified "outlaw groups" for launching a dawn attack on several army units, adding that Syrian forces responded and pursued the attackers, who refused to cease hostilities.
Fighting broke out Saturday between armed members of the Druze community and Bedouin tribes, leaving more than 89 people dead and dozens more injured. It marked the first sectarian violence inside Suwayda city, following months of mounting tensions across the province.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab said, 'The absence of state institutions, especially military and security bodies, is a main reason behind the ongoing tension in Al-Suwayda and its countryside,' stressing that security must be imposed and institutions reactivated to restore civil peace.
According to media reports citing eyewitnesses, the violence erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on July 11 along the highway linking Damascus and Suwayda. As of Monday, Syrian army units and security forces had reached the outskirts of the city, just five kilometers from the center.
Sources familiar with the situation told Erem News that the Syrian army's rapid advance and control over the rural areas surrounding Suwayda prompted Druze armed factions to seek negotiations with the government.
However, the Syrian government reportedly refused to engage in any dialogue before the complete surrender of weapons and the handover of all local institutions to state control. The clashes resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, including the reported death of Abu Bahaa Walid Salah al-Din, a Druze sheikh from the town of Najran.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes launched strikes targeting a convoy belonging to Syria's Ministry of Defense near villages in western Suwayda countryside, close to the border.
The Israeli army confirmed the operation, describing it as an 'unconventional' attack after Syrian tanks reportedly crossed a designated boundary line set by Israel, adding that its aircraft struck several Syrian tanks that had entered a restricted area near the Golan Heights, specifically in the village of Sami, according to Channel 7.
