4 days ago
Syria deploys troops to Suwayda as tribal clashes leave at least 30 dead
At least 30 people have been killed and 100 injured in armed clashes between Bedouin tribes and local fighters in the predominantly Druze city of Suwayda in southern Syria, the Interior Ministry said early on Monday.
The ministry expressed 'deep concern and sorrow over the bloody developments'.
'This dangerous escalation comes amid an absence of relevant official institutions which has led to an exacerbation of chaos, a deterioration in the security situation and an inability of the local community to contain the crisis,' it added.
The ministry said government forces would be sent to the region to stop the clashes and assess the situation, calling on all parties to co-operate.
Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Suwayda, with violence occasionally erupting between the two.
The latest clashes are the first outbreak of violence since deadly clashes between members of the Druze community and security forces in April and May, in which dozens of people were killed. However, this is the first time fighting has erupted inside the city of Suwayda.
Since the collapse of the former regime under Bashar Al Assad last December, concerns have been raised over the rights and safety of minorities under the new Islamist authorities, who have struggled to re-establish security more broadly.
In March, more than 1,000 people, including many civilians, were killed in fighting between fighters loyal to the former regime and government forces in the coastal provinces of Tartus and Latakia. These are strongholds of the Alawite minority group, to which the Assad family belongs.
