Latest news with #BedouinTribes
The National
7 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Syria's defence ministry aware of reports of 'shocking violations' in Sweida
The Syrian defence ministry said it was aware of reports of "shocking violations" carried out by fighters wearing military fatigues in the Druze heartland of Sweida, and said it was launch a probe into the week of deadly clashes. Sectarian clashes increased last week between the Druze and Bedouin tribes. Fighting escalated when government forces were sent to the city. More than 300 people were killed in the fighting that also drew in Israeli strikes. Israel claims to be supporting the Druze, who form a significant minority in Israel but are often subjected to army conscription. Syria and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on Friday. War monitors and witnesses accused forces affiliated to the government of carrying out executions in the city. Syria's Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said in a statement on Tuesday there would be "no tolerance" for perpetrators of human rights violations in Sweida, even if they were committed by ministry forces. A committee has been tasked to investigate the reports and to try to identify those who were wearing military uniforms and carrying out atrocities. Separately, the Syrian interior ministry said it had launched an investigation into reports of field executions committed by "unknown people" in Sweida. "Such acts constitute serious crimes," ministry spokesperson Nour Al Din Al Baba said, stressing that the ministry was also working on identifying those involved. Last week's violence in Sweida is just the latest episode of sectarian fighting that the new authorities in Damascus have been linked to. A Syrian fact-finding committee said separately on Tuesday that 1,426 people had died in March in attacks on security forces and subsequent mass killings of Alawites, but concluded that commanders had not given orders for the revenge attacks. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said he had advised Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara to recalibrate his policies and embrace a more inclusive approach in the wake of the latest sectarian flare-up, or risk losing international support. In an interview with Reuters in Beirut, Mr Barrack said the Syrian leader could "grow up as a president and say, 'the right thing for me to do is not to follow my theme, which isn't working so well.'" Mr Shara, leader of a former Al Qaeda offshoot, came to power in Syria after guerilla fighters he led brought down President Bashar al-Assad in December last year after more than 13 years of civil war. While many of his fighters have roots in extremism, he has vowed to protect members of minorities. But that pledge has been challenged by mass killings of members of the Alawite sect - which Assad belonged to - and now by the latest violence involving the Druze. Mr Barrack however pushed back on reports that Syrian security forces were responsible for the violations. "The Syrian troops haven't gone into the city. These atrocities that are happening are not happening by the Syrian regime troops. They're not even in the city because they agreed with Israel that they would not go in," he said. Th US State Department confirmed the death of a US citizen last week in Sweida, adding that it was providing consular assistance to the family.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
US citizen among eight Druze family members executed during Syria's sectarian violence
An American citizen from Oklahoma was among eight men, all family members, rounded up and killed in an execution-style attack during the sectarian violence that flared in Syria last week. Hosam Saraya, a 35-year-old Syrian-American, was identified by friend Bahaa Imad and a US relative as one of eight men whose killing was captured on a video that circulated on social media over the weekend. The video, which has been geolocated by CNN, shows a group of armed men wearing military uniforms and face masks firing on eight captives while shouting 'God is great.' CNN cannot independently verify the identify of the gunmen in the video. It has reached out to the Syrian government for comment. Saraya's brother Kareem and other family members were also executed, according to the US relative, who asked not to be named for her safety. She spoke directly with relatives in Syria who said the family's male members had all been killed – leaving only their wives and daughters. The killings occurred on July 17 amid an outbreak of sectarian violence between Syrian Druze groups and Bedouin tribes in the Druze-majority Suwayda province. Saraya, who had studied in Oklahoma before returning to Syria, belonged to the Druze community, an Arab religious group of roughly one million people who primarily live in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. He had gone to Syria to care for his father who was ill, the US relative said. The relative said female family members who survived the massacre recalled how militants had stormed the family's multi-story home early in the morning, prompting the residents to fight back in defense. After one of the family members was wounded, the rest surrendered their weapons, she said, and the men were taken outside. Bahaa Imad, a 20-year-old friend of the Saraya family, corroborated these details, saying he witnessed the militants storm the home and forcibly remove eight men, while leaving female family members inside. 'Pray for us' The US relative first learned of the attack when one of the female survivors sent her a desperate message: 'Pray for us, they kidnapped the boys, they shot the house, they stole stuff'. Twelve hours passed as the family desperately waited for news, hoping their relatives would return safely. It wasn't until another overseas relative saw the videos circulating of their execution that they realized the eight men had been killed. Imad said relatives later told him the captives were marched 200 meters to Tishreen Square, where they were lined up and executed. One of the men had sent a final message to friends that read, 'Come and help us if you can. They surrounded us,' Imad said. Imad identified Hosam Saraya's body after watching the video. 'I don't know how monsters can do that,' the US relative told CNN. Asked about Saraya, the US State Department confirmed Monday that an American citizen had died in Suwayda. It did not offer details about the death but said it was 'greatly concerned when any US citizen is harmed overseas, wherever they are' and called 'for accountability in all cases where US citizens are harmed abroad.' Oklahoma Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin also confirmed the killing of an American from the state in Syria. 'Hosam was an Oklahoman and member of the Druze community who was tragically executed alongside other members of his family in Syria,' Lankford wrote on X. 'We are praying for his family, friends, and the entire community as they grieve this senseless loss.' Mullin wrote on X that an 'American citizen from Oklahoma' was 'brutally executed alongside his family members in Syria,' adding he was working with partners in the region to learn more. His tweet did not name the Saraya family. Widespread violence between the Druze minority and Bedouin tribes in southern Syria erupted on July 13 and has left hundreds dead in the latest explosion of sectarian bloodletting since the authoritarian rule of Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a coalition of Islamist rebels. The violence drew Israeli intervention in support of the Druze, as well as US condemnation and an international scramble to stop the fighting spiraling further. The Syrian government said over the weekend that clashes in Suwayda had stopped after a ceasefire agreement was reached between the government, Druze groups, and Bedouin tribes. A separate ceasefire was agreed between Syria and Israel. The deal was announced by US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who said it was 'embraced' by Turkey, Jordan and other neighboring countries.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After multiple rounds of renewed fighting, will the Syria truce finally last?
The challenge now is whether the two sides can de-escalate. Numerous Bedouin tribes from across Syria mobilized to fight in Sweida. On Friday, US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack announced that a truce had been agreed to inSyria after five days of clashes in which Israel had intervened and bombed Damascus. The clashes were between Bedouin tribesmen and Druze, and the Syrian government had tried to intervene to prevent them, but Israel had demanded that the government leave the area, accusing it of having been involved in oppressing the Druze. Barrack said he was grateful to Jordan for playing a leadership role in the region to help support the ceasefire. 'We are making positive steps to support a unified, stable Syria at peace with its neighbors, including our Jordanian allies.' Of interest was Barrack's social media post on Friday in which he said that Israel's prime minister and the president of Syria had agreed to the truce. In essence, the Syrian conflict, which was made up of internal clashes, now appears to have been outsourced to Israel, with Jordanian and Turkish involvement. Ankara and Amman are very critical of Israel's bombing of Syria, and they argue that Israel is destabilizing it. In their view, Israel is demanding that southern Syria be demilitarized, which has helped lead to a power vacuum. Into the vacuum, armed groups have emerged that are fighting each other; Israel's bombing has only made this more chaotic. The US administration has not critiqued Israel openly. However, Al-Monitor quoted a senior Trump administration official as telling Israel, 'You can't embark on a new war every few days." US allegedly reprimands Israel over strikes in Syria The Israeli bombing of Damascus came three weeks after Israel also carried out strikes on Iran that led to US involvement in a ceasefire there as well. It has also come as Israel continues its strikes in Gaza and Lebanon. The question now is whether the ceasefire in southern Syria can hold. The Druze in Sweida have been hard-pressed by Bedouin tribesmen. In the absence of the government security forces, it appears clear that fighting would lead to more atrocities. The Bedouin have accused the Druze of killing their kinsmen in Sweida and also kidnapping Bedouin. Druze have accused the Bedouin of crimes. One video shows Druze men being forced to jump from an apartment balcony under gunfire. Another video appears to show Bedouin women and children killed in what may have been a mortar strike. The videos lead to a fear of worse crimes. Barrack, who has been tasked with working with the new Syrian government, said he was 'thankful to all sides for their break from chaos and confusion as we attempt to navigate all parties to a more durable and peaceful solution in Syria.' The challenge now is to see if the two sides can back down. Numerous Bedouin tribes from all over Syria had mobilized to fight in Sweida. The government had to deploy security forces to some areas in Syria to prevent reprisals against the Druze. The Bedouin mobilization apparently brought together tribes that don't usually get along, seeking to defend their comrades. Similarly, the attacks on the Druze led to their kinsmen in Israel seeking to enter Syria to help their comrades. The IDF said that forces were attacked in violent protests near the Golan fence with Syria between Friday and Saturday. This came three days after some Druze had crossed into Syria to help their community. This conflict clearly has the capability of spilling over. Israel has tried to put down a new redline in southern Syria, basically staking a claim to a sphere of influence that appears to extend some 80 kilometers or more from the Golan border, all the way to Sweida and the outskirts of Damascus. This is a new front for Israel, and Jerusalem appears to want to manage the conflict now in Syria as it does in southern Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and other places. Jerusalem has also set itself up for further involvement in the future. Because Israel is now a party to a ceasefire, it means that Washington will now have to deal with not only the ceasefire in Syria but also with Iran. The Trump administration had wanted to focus on other regions of the world, but its first seven months in office have largely been consumed by the Middle East. It bombed the Houthis until it realized that the campaign had diminishing returns. Then it bombed Iran as part of Israel's strikes there. Then it got involved in brokering a ceasefire in southern Syria. It has also had to deal with Gaza, working on a ceasefire in January and then working to get American citizen Eden Alexander released. Keeping the ceasefire will be in the interest of Washington and Damascus. The wild card is likely Israel's own calculus about what comes next. Is it in Israel's interest to bomb Syria every few months to maintain a redline in southern Syria? Will the decision to leave a power vacuum in Syria lead to extremist groups or Iran seeking to infiltrate the area? Many Syrian social media accounts have noted that after the Israeli strikes on the heart of Damascus, they had no hopes of peace with Israel. They said that after the fall of the Assad regime, they had entertained turning over a new leaf with Israel and considering a path to peace. There had even been rumors that Syria would join the Abraham Accords. Now, many of these Syrians are outraged at Israel. It has also caused a deeper rift with the Druze, who are accused of being linked to the Jewish state. The aggressive stance of Jerusalem may therefore backfire. Prior to the clashes in Sweida on July 13, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa had been in Baku. Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of Israel. It had looked like the trip might smooth the way to more engagement with Damascus, but the bombing of the Syrian capital likely harmed that. Some Israeli officials make statements against Sharaa, referring to him by his previous nom de guerre 'Julani' and claiming Israel should target him. It's hard to see how relations can improve so long as such rhetoric continues. At the same time, Israeli media have taken to calling the Syrian government the 'regime,' similar to how Assad's regime was widely referred to. This indicates that the government of Syria is seen as an enemy – which also makes it less likely to pave the way for peace. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel airstrike hits vicinity of Syria's Sweida, Syrian state news agency says
Despite reports indicating the strike was carried out by Israel, Channel 12 reported that the Israeli military had not conducted the strikes. Israel carried out an airstrike in the vicinity of Syria's Sweida, Syrian state news agency SANA said on Thursday. Syrian media reports claimed that the strikes targeted military positions of Bedouin tribes, according to Channel 12. The Bedouin tribes reportedly took over a village in Sweida. Despite reports indicating the strike was carried out by Israel, Channel 12 reported that the Israeli military had not conducted the strikes. Syrian tribes from Manbij, Idlib and the north are reportedly recruiting fighters to support the tribal forces in Sweida, Maariv reported, citing Arab networks. To deal with the alleged threat, the Syrian army has reportedly begun setting up checkpoints on the road from Damascus to Sweida in an attempt to prevent militia fighters from reaching the area. Israel's recent strikes in Syria On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes in Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, demanding they withdraw and saying Israel aimed to protect Syrian Druze - part of a small but influential minority that also has followers in Lebanon and Israel. The United States did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria, the State Department said on Thursday, adding that Washington made clear its displeasure after tensions escalated and worked quickly to stop it. This is a developing story.
CNN
20-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Ceasefire in southern Syria appears to be holding as US demands Damascus end violence
The Syrian government says clashes in the southern city of Suwayda have stopped after a week of violence left hundreds of people dead, drawing Israeli intervention and US condemnation. A ceasefire agreement reached by the government, Druze groups and Bedouin tribes on Saturday appeared to be holding Sunday, but communications with the province remain difficult. There were no reports of gunfire in the city of Suwayda Sunday. 'After intensive efforts by the Ministry of Interior to implement the ceasefire agreement and the deployment of its forces in the northern and western regions of Suwayda Governorate, the city of Suwayda was evacuated of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city's neighborhoods were halted,' Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine Al-Baba said, according to the Syrian state news agency. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Saturday called on the Syrian government to use its security forces to prevent 'violent jihadists' from entering Suwayda and 'carrying out massacres.' In a post on X, Rubio said: 'The US has remained heavily involved over the last three days with Israel, Jordan and authorities in Damascus on the horrifying & dangerous developments in southern Syria. The rape and slaughter of innocent people which has and is still occurring must end.' Bedouin tribal fighters were involved in clashes with Druze groups on the western edges of the city on Saturday. One of the Druze factions - Spiritual Leadership – said it was 'deeply regrettable and shameful that the other party has failed to uphold the ceasefire,' and appealed to the international community to halt what it called 'this terrorist onslaught.'
