Latest news with #sectarian violence
CNN
2 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Syrian government deploys forces to restive south after week of violence
Syrian security forces are deploying in the restive province of Suwayda after days of communal fighting in which hundreds of people have been killed, the country's interior ministry says. Clashes between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes have continued in Suwayda since last week, threatening the stability of the government in Damascus as it tries to exert control over Syria's complex and volatile sectarian landscape. The violence prompted Israel to carry out strikes against Syrian government forces, which it said were to protect the Druze, who are a significant minority in both countries. Israel has also expressed alarm about the new Islamist-led government in Syria despite contacts between the two on ensuring security. Both Bedouin and Druze groups issued statements indicating they were prepared to accept the ceasefire, but one Druze faction then demanded that Bedouin leave Suwayda Geolocated video showed continuing clashes in western parts of Suwayda city. Security forces were present in rural areas to the west, but not in the city itself, the scene of the heaviest clashes. Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Dean Baba said that 'Following the bloody events caused by outlaw groups… Internal Security Forces have begun deploying in Suwayda province as part of a national mission with the primary goal of protecting civilians and restoring order.' A short while later, Syria's presidency declared what it called an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in the province, calling on everyone to allow the state 'to implement this ceasefire responsibly, ensuring stability and halting the bloodshed.' In a televised statement Saturday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that events in Suwayda had 'marked a dangerous turning point in Syria's security and political landscape.' Al-Sharaa also referred to the Israeli airstrikes in Suwayda and Damascus last week, which he said had 'reignited tensions, pushing the country into a critical phase that now threatens its stability.' Referring to Israeli support for some Druze groups in Suwayda, al-Sharaa said that 'some figures, emboldened by foreign support, have shown separatist ambitions and led armed groups that committed acts of killing and abuse.' He again pledged to protect the Druze, who have been wary of his government, and called for national unity. 'Syria is not a playground for separatism or sectarian incitement. Now more than ever, it is essential to return to the path of reason and come together on a unified national foundation,' al Sharaa said. After US mediation aimed at ending the violence and halting Israeli airstrikes, al-Sharaa thanked the Trump administration for its 'commitment to the country's stability.' Al-Sharaa's statement followed the announcement late Friday by the US envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, that Syria and Israel had agreed to a new ceasefire in Suwayda. Geolocated video from the city of Suwayda early Saturday showed columns of dark smoke rising and the sound of sporadic gunfire. But Druze and Bedouin groups indicated they would accept the ceasefire once government forces were deployed. Bedouin groups represented by the Southern Tribes Gathering said they were declaring 'an immediate and comprehensive cessation of all military actions,' and called for 'channels for dialogue and coordination to ensure that what happened does not recur.' One Druze group heavily involved in the clashes said Saturday that it was ready to accept a ceasefire. The Spiritual Leadership faction, led by Hikmat al-Hijri, said it was renewing a call to 'return to our shared humanity.' But al-Hijri, who had rejected a previous ceasefire, later demanded that Syrian security forces should only be deployed at the border of the province, and called for Bedouin to leave the province altogether. The Israeli government has insisted that Suwayda should be a demilitarized zone out of bounds to government forces. But amid the ongoing violence Israel said Friday that it would allow a limited presence of internal security forces to restore order in Suwayda. On Friday, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said it had documented the deaths of at least 321 people in Suwayda since last Sunday, when clashes began. It said there had been 'extrajudicial killings, mutual shelling, as well as airstrikes carried out by Israeli occupation forces.'
CNN
6 hours ago
- Politics
- CNN
Syrian government says it's deploying forces to restive south after week of violence
Syrian security forces are beginning to move into the restive province of Suwayda after days of communal fighting in which hundreds of people have been killed, the country's interior ministry says. Clashes between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes have continued in Suwayda since last week, threatening the stability of the government in Damascus as it tries to exert control over Syria's complex and volatile sectarian landscape. The violence prompted Israel to carry out strikes against Syrian government forces, which it said were to protect the Druze, who are a significant minority in both countries. Israel has also expressed alarm about the new Islamist-led government in Syria despite contacts between the two on ensuring security. There were reports of sporadic violence continuing Saturday. Both Bedouin and Druze groups issued statements indicating they were prepared to accept the ceasefire, but one Druze faction then demanded that Bedouin leave Suwayda Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Dean Baba said that 'Following the bloody events caused by outlaw groups… Internal Security Forces have begun deploying in Suwayda province as part of a national mission with the primary goal of protecting civilians and restoring order.' A short while later, Syria's presidency declared what it called an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in the province, calling on everyone to allow the state 'to implement this ceasefire responsibly, ensuring stability and halting the bloodshed.' In a televised statement Saturday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that events in Suwayda had 'marked a dangerous turning point in Syria's security and political landscape.' Al-Sharaa also referred to the Israeli airstrikes in Suwayda and Damascus last week, which he said had 'reignited tensions, pushing the country into a critical phase that now threatens its stability.' Referring to Israeli support for some Druze groups in Suwayda, al-Sharaa said that 'some figures, emboldened by foreign support, have shown separatist ambitions and led armed groups that committed acts of killing and abuse.' He again pledged to protect the Druze, who have been wary of his government, and called for national unity. 'Syria is not a playground for separatism or sectarian incitement. Now more than ever, it is essential to return to the path of reason and come together on a unified national foundation,' al Sharaa said. After US mediation aimed at ending the violence and halting Israeli airstrikes, al-Sharaa thanked the Trump administration for its 'commitment to the country's stability.' Al-Sharaa's statement followed the announcement late Friday by the US envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, that Syria and Israel had agreed to a new ceasefire in Suwayda. Geolocated video from the city of Suwayda early Saturday showed columns of dark smoke rising and the sound of sporadic gunfire. But Druze and Bedouin groups indicated they would accept the ceasefire once government forces were deployed. Bedouin groups represented by the Southern Tribes Gathering said they were declaring 'an immediate and comprehensive cessation of all military actions,' and called for 'channels for dialogue and coordination to ensure that what happened does not recur.' One Druze group heavily involved in the clashes said Saturday that it was ready to accept a ceasefire. The Spiritual Leadership faction, led by Hikmat al-Hijri, said it was renewing a call to 'return to our shared humanity.' But al-Hijri, who had rejected a previous ceasefire, later demanded that Syrian security forces should only be deployed at the border of the province, and called for Bedouin to leave the province altogether. The Israeli government has insisted that Suwayda should be a demilitarized zone out of bounds to government forces. But amid the ongoing violence Israel said Friday that it would allow a limited presence of internal security forces to restore order in Suwayda. On Friday, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said it had documented the deaths of at least 321 people in Suwayda since last Sunday, when clashes began. It said there had been 'extrajudicial killings, mutual shelling, as well as airstrikes carried out by Israeli occupation forces.'
Sky News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
At least 30 dead and 100 injured as armed groups clash in Syria, officials say
At least 30 people have been killed in the Syrian city of Sweida in clashes between local military groups and tribes, according to Syria's interior ministry. Officials say initial figures suggest around 100 people have also been injured in the city, where the Druze faith is one of the major religious groups. The interior ministry said its forces will directly intervene to resolve the conflict, which the Reuters news agency said involved fighting between Druze gunmen and Bedouin Sunni tribes. It marks the latest episode of sectarian violence in Syria, where fears among minority groups have increased since Islamist-led rebels toppled President Bashar al Assad in December, installing their own government and security forces. 6:11 The violence reportedly erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida. Last April, Sunni militia clashed with armed Druze residents of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, and fighting later spread to another district near the capital. But this is the first time the fighting has been reported inside the city of Sweida itself, the provincial capital of the mostly Druze province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports the fighting was centred in the Maqwas neighbourhood east of Sweida and villages on the western and northern outskirts of the city. It adds that Syria's Ministry of Defence has deployed military convoys to the area. Western nations, including the US and UK, have been increasingly moving towards normalising relations with Syria. 0:47 Concerns among minority groups have intensified following the killing of hundreds of Alawites in March, in apparent retaliation for an earlier attack carried out by Assad loyalists. That was the deadliest sectarian flare-up in years in Syria, where a 14-year civil war ended with Assad fleeing to Russia after his government was overthrown by rebel forces. The city of Sweida is in southern Syria, about 24 miles (38km) north of the border with Jordan.
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Ceasefire collapses in Syria's Suwayda as Israel threatens escalation
Fighting between Druze armed groups and government troops has continued in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda, with a ceasefire in tatters, as Israel launched further strikes on Syrian forces and warned it would escalate unless they withdrew. The sectarian violence in the predominantly Druze city resumed in force on Wednesday, despite the announcement of a ceasefire by the Syrian government the previous night, Syria's defence ministry told Al Jazeera. Ministry officials blamed groups 'outside the law' for breaking the ceasefire and attacking government troops, who they said were responding to fire while taking into account rules of engagement to protect civilians. Speaking from Damascus, Al Jazeera's Osama Bin Javaid said that following Tuesday's ceasefire announcement, the situation had 'spiralled out of control once again'. He said at least 70 people were believed to have been killed in the fighting so far, while the U.K.-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that more than 250 people had been killed, as of Wednesday morning, including four children, five women and 138 soldiers and security forces. The observatory added that at least 21 people were killed in 'field executions.' 'The situation on the ground is [in] that the city centre itself there are sporadic clashes, but on the outskirts there's a lot of fighting that has been happening between these Druze fighters and [government] forces,' Bin Javaid said. On top of the clashes on the ground, Israel, which sees the Druze minority as a potential ally and has been attacking Syria under the pretext of protecting the group, has continued its air strikes on Syrian troop positions around Suwayda, with at least seven strikes launched on Wednesday, he said. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday warned the Syrian government on to leave the Druze alone and withdraw its forces from Suwayda, or it would ramp up its strikes. 'As we have made clear and warned — Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarisation policy we have decided on,' he said, adding that it would escalate its activity 'if the message is not understood.' Syria has condemned Israel's intervention as a violation of international law as have several Arab nations. The outbreak of violence in the southern city on Sunday was triggered by a wave of recent kidnappings and attacks between local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed groups, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Suwayda, witnesses told the Reuters news agency. Syria's Druze population numbers about 700,000, with Suwayda home to the sect's largest community. Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Suwayda, with violence occasionally erupting. Bin Javaid said that tensions in the latest outbreak of violence had been inflamed by material of killings and abuses posted on social media. 'That created a flurry of reaction… from both sides,' he said. Since the overthrow of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, concerns have been raised over the rights and safety of minorities under the new authorities, who have also struggled to re-establish security more broadly. 'Since this government took charge, the Druze have not really accepted them as the government that will look after their aspirations and hopes as well,' said Bin Javaid. Clashes between troops and Druze fighters in April and May killed dozens of people, with local leaders and religious figures signing agreements to contain the escalation and better integrate Druze fighters into the new government. The Druze developed their own militias during the nearly 14-year ruinous civil war. Since al-Assad's fall, different Druze factions have been at odds over whether to integrate with the new government and armed forces.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Syria announces ceasefire after latest outbreak of deadly sectarian violence
Syrian government forces deploy at the Mazraa village on the outskirts of the city of Sweida, where clashes erupted between Sunni Bedouin clans and Druze militias, southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) BUSRA AL-HARIR, Syria -- Syria's defence minister announced a ceasefire shortly after government forces entered a key city in Sweida province on Tuesday, a day after sectarian clashes killed dozens, while neighbouring Israel again launched strikes in the area. Murhaf Abu Qasra said in a statement that after an agreement with the city's 'notables and dignitaries, we will respond only to the sources of fire and deal with any targeting by outlaw groups.' The latest sectarian violence to emerge under Syria's new leaders began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between members of local Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze armed factions in the southern province, a centre of the Druze community. Syrian government security forces sent to restore order on Monday clashed with Druze armed groups. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz in a joint statement said Israel had struck to 'prevent the Syrian regime from harming' the Druze religious minority 'and to ensure disarmament in the area adjacent to our borders with Syria.' In Israel, the Druze are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the armed forces. Syria's state-run news agency SANA did not give details about the strikes. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israel struck a tank belonging to the Syrian military as forces began to move deeper into Sweida city. Manhal Yasser Al-Gor, a member of the Interior Ministry forces, was being treated for shrapnel wounds at a local hospital after an Israeli strike hit his convoy. 'We were entering Sweida to secure the civilians and prevent looting. I was on an armoured personnel carrier when the Israeli drone hit us,' he said, adding that there were 'many casualties.' Syria's Interior Ministry said Monday that more than 30 people had been killed, but has not updated the figures. The observatory said Tuesday that 135 people had been killed in 48 hours, including two women and two children. Among them were 19 people killed in 'field executions' by government forces, including 12 men in a rest house in the city of Sweida, it said. It did not say how many of the dead were civilians. There was no immediate Syrian government comment on the allegation of field executions. Suspicion over Syria's new government Israel has taken an aggressive stance toward Syria's new leaders since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a rebel offensive led by Sunni Islamist insurgent groups in December, saying it does not want militants near its borders. Israeli forces have seized a UN-patrolled buffer zone on Syrian territory along the border with the Golan Heights and launched hundreds of airstrikes on military sites in Syria. Earlier Tuesday, religious leaders of the Druze community in Syria called for armed factions that have been clashing with government forces to surrender their weapons and cooperate with authorities as they entered the provincial capital of Sweida. One of the main religious authorities, however, later released a video statement retracting the call. The initial statement called for armed factions in Sweida to 'cooperate with the forces of the Ministry of Interior' and hand over their weapons. The statement also called for 'opening a dialogue with the Syrian government to address the repercussions of the events.' The commander of internal security in Sweida Governorate, Brig. Gen. Ahmad al-Dalati, welcomed the statement and called for 'all religious authorities and social activists to adopt a unified national stance that supports the Ministry of Interior's measures to extend state authority and achieve security throughout the province.' But Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader who has been opposed to the government in Damascus, said in a video message that the statement by Druze leaders had been issued after an agreement with the authorities in Damascus but 'they broke the promise and continued the indiscriminate shelling of unarmed civilians.' 'We are being subjected to a total war of annihilation,' he asserted, without giving evidence. Some videos on social media had showed armed fighters with Druze captives, inciting sectarian slogans and beating them. Sectarian and revenge attacks The Druze religious sect began as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half the roughly one million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. Clashes on several occasions have broken out between forces loyal to the government and Druze fighters since the fall of Assad. The latest round of fighting has raised fears of another spiral of sectarian violence. In March, an ambush in another part of Syria on government security forces by fighters loyal to Assad triggered days of sectarian and revenge attacks. Hundreds of civilians were killed, most of them members of the minority Alawite sect that Assad belongs to. A commission was formed to investigate the attacks but has not made its findings public. The current conflict has also raised concerns about escalating Israeli intervention. While many Druze in Syria have said they do not want Israel to intervene on their behalf, factions from the Druze minority have also been suspicious of the new authorities in Damascus, particularly after the attacks on Alawites and other minority groups. ------ By Ghaith Alsayed And Abby Sewell Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
