Thirty-seven people were killed and dozens injured in clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes in Syria’s southern Suwayda province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Sunday.
اضافة اعلان
The UK-based Observatory reported 37 fatalities in the armed confrontations and mutual shelling in the al-Maqous neighborhood, east of Suwayda city, and in other areas of the province. The dead include 27 Druze—two of them children—and 10 Bedouins, with around 50 others wounded.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior expressed "deep concern" over the outbreak of "armed clashes between local military groups and tribes in the al-Maqous neighborhood" that resulted in "more than 30 deaths and nearly 100 injuries in a preliminary toll," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that its units, in coordination with the Ministry of Defense, will begin a direct intervention in the area to end the conflict, restore security, and pursue those responsible to bring them to justice. A government source confirmed that Interior Ministry forces were being dispatched to contain the violence.
The ministry noted that the clashes stem from "accumulated tensions in previous periods."
This marks the first outbreak of violence in the region since deadly confrontations between Druze residents and security forces in April and May that left dozens dead.
Earlier, the local media outlet "Suwayda 24" reported armed confrontations and exchanges of shellfire, along with the closure of the Damascus-Suwayda international highway, citing medical sources.
Suwayda Governor Mustafa al-Bakour called for "self-restraint, reason, and dialogue," adding: "We appreciate the efforts made by local and tribal leaders to contain the tensions and affirm that the state will not tolerate any threats to the safety of citizens."
Druze religious leaders also called for calm and urged the Damascus authorities to intervene.
Suwayda is home to the largest Druze community in Syria, estimated at around 700,000 people.
Recurring Tensions
Violent clashes in areas near Damascus in April, which later spread to Suwayda, resulted in at least 119 deaths, including Druze fighters and security personnel.
Following those confrontations, representatives of the Syrian government and Druze leaders reached de-escalation agreements to curb further violence. These events highlighted the ongoing challenges facing the transitional government led by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa as it attempts to stabilize its rule and define relationships with various communities following the ousting of the previous regime in December.
These bloody confrontations also provoked a reaction from Israel, which has occupied part of Syria's Golan Heights since 1967 and formally annexed it in 1981. Israel launched airstrikes and warned Damascus not to endanger the Druze population.
The Druze, an offshoot sect of the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam—second in size only to Twelver Shiism—are mainly located in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.
In Israel, the Druze form an Arabic-speaking minority of over 150,000. They live in more than 20 villages across the Galilee, Mount Carmel, and the occupied Golan Heights. According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, 153,000 Druze hold Israeli citizenship.
An additional 23,000 live in the Golan Heights, most of whom hold permanent residency status in Israel.
— (AFP)
