Syrian troops have withdrawn from the Druze heartland of Sweida following directives from the Islamist-led government. This decision comes in the wake of tragic clashes resulting in nearly 600 fatalities, as reported by a war monitoring organization.
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The southern province has been engulfed in severe sectarian violence since Sunday, with hundreds reportedly killed in confrontations involving Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and the army along with its supporters.
Yesterday, the city of Sweida lay in ruins. “What I saw of the city looked as if it had just emerged from a flood or a natural disaster,” shared a local resident, capturing the devastation that has unfolded.
A recent report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights indicates that 594 lives have been lost in the clashes within Sweida province since Sunday. Meanwhile, the United Nations humanitarian agency, OCHA, has disclosed that “nearly 2,000 families have been displaced” due to the ongoing violence.
During this turmoil, Israeli forces conducted airstrikes on government troops in Sweida and targeted locations in and around the capital, Damascus, including military headquarters. Israel has warned that its actions will continue to escalate until government forces withdraw.
According to the Observatory, Israeli strikes resulted in the deaths of three individuals in Damascus. Following the withdrawal of government forces, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported the first Israeli attack in the area, targeting locations on the outskirts of Sweida.
In a public statement, the Syrian presidency accused Druze fighters in Sweida of breaching the ceasefire that prompted the withdrawal of government forces. The presidency condemned “outlaw forces” for perpetrating “horrific violence” against civilians.
Amid these tensions, the presidency issued a warning regarding “continued blatant Israeli interference in Syria’s internal affairs,” suggesting it only exacerbates chaos and further complicates the regional landscape.
Mr. Sharaa, head of the Islamist-led interim government, has vowed to protect the Druze community, stating, “We are keen on holding accountable those who transgressed and abused our Druze people, as they are under the protection and responsibility of the state.” This pledge comes amidst a backdrop of violence, including the massacre of over 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians along the Mediterranean coast last March, attributed to government-affiliated groups.
The ongoing clashes between government forces and armed Druze fighters persisted through April and May, leading to over 100 additional deaths. Initially, government troops entered Sweida on Tuesday with promises to oversee a truce, but witnesses reported that they instead allied with Bedouin forces to attack Druze fighters and civilians.
In response to the escalating situation, the Syrian president criticized Israel’s military interventions, suggesting that only the “effective intervention of American, Arab and Turkish mediation” prevented further escalation.
The United States, a close ally of Israel, announced late Wednesday that an agreement had been made to restore calm in the region, urging all parties to uphold their commitments. A State Department spokesperson confirmed, “the US did not support (the) recent Israeli strikes.”
Meanwhile, foreign ministers from 11 regional countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, issued a joint statement supporting the Syrian government. They condemned Israeli actions as a “blatant violation of international law and a flagrant assault on Syria’s sovereignty.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that the ceasefire was a direct consequence of Israel’s “powerful action.” While Israel has presented itself as a protector of its own Druze community, analysts suggest this may also serve as a guise for pursuing military objectives, particularly in maintaining distance between Syrian government forces and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In a visible display of unity, numerous Druze gathered in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, hoping to connect with relatives on the Syrian side who might attempt to cross the border.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring
