Attacks on Syria forces amid sectarian clashes kills 16
Sunday's fighting between Druze militiamen and Bedouin tribal fighters was the first time that sectarian violence erupted inside the city of Sweida itself, following months of tensions in the broader province.
In a statement to Reuters, the defence ministry said "outlawed groups," which it did not identify further, had attacked a number of its units at dawn.
It said its forces responded to the attack and had pursued those groups that refused to halt hostilities and continued to target security forces.
The fighting on Sunday left 30 people dead and prompted Syria's security forces to deploy units to the city to restore calm and guarantee safe passage for civilians looking to leave, the defence ministry said in an earlier statement.
But intense clashes broke out again on Monday, local news outlet Sweida24 reported.
Another security source said that Syrian troops would aim to exert state control over the whole province to prevent any more violence but that this could take several days.
It marked the latest episode of sectarian bloodshed in Syria, where fears among minority groups have surged since jihadist-led rebels toppled president Bashar al-Assad in December, installing their own government and security forces.
Sunni Muslim Arab rebel groups which fought Assad during the war agreed in December to dissolve into the defence ministry but efforts to integrate armed factions from minority groups - including Druze and Kurds - have largely stalled.
In southern Syria, efforts have been further complicated by Israel's stated policy that it would not allow Syria's new army to deploy south of Damascus and that Sweida and neighbouring provinces should make up a demilitarised zone.
Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab said in a written statement carried on state media that the "absence of state institutions, especially military and security institutions, is a major cause of the ongoing tensions in Sweida and its countryside".
Sunday's violence erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida, witnesses said.
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Israel has carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria for a second day, vowing to keep the area demilitarised and to protect the Druze minority as deadly clashes continue in the region at the Israeli frontier. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard over the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday and saw a damaged tank being towed away. Dozens of people have been killed in fighting in the region since Sunday. The upsurge in violence underlines the challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa who has struggled to assert control over the area near the Israeli border since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December. While Sharaa has been buoyed by rapidly improving ties with US President Donald Trump's administration, the violence has highlighted lingering sectarian tensions and distrust among minority groups towards his Islamist-led government - distrust that was deepened by mass killings of Alawites in March. Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel. Israel has carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria for a second day, vowing to keep the area demilitarised and to protect the Druze minority as deadly clashes continue in the region at the Israeli frontier. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard over the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday and saw a damaged tank being towed away. Dozens of people have been killed in fighting in the region since Sunday. The upsurge in violence underlines the challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa who has struggled to assert control over the area near the Israeli border since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December. While Sharaa has been buoyed by rapidly improving ties with US President Donald Trump's administration, the violence has highlighted lingering sectarian tensions and distrust among minority groups towards his Islamist-led government - distrust that was deepened by mass killings of Alawites in March. Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel. Israel has carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria for a second day, vowing to keep the area demilitarised and to protect the Druze minority as deadly clashes continue in the region at the Israeli frontier. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard over the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday and saw a damaged tank being towed away. Dozens of people have been killed in fighting in the region since Sunday. The upsurge in violence underlines the challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa who has struggled to assert control over the area near the Israeli border since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December. While Sharaa has been buoyed by rapidly improving ties with US President Donald Trump's administration, the violence has highlighted lingering sectarian tensions and distrust among minority groups towards his Islamist-led government - distrust that was deepened by mass killings of Alawites in March. Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel. Israel has carried out strikes against Syrian government forces in southwestern Syria for a second day, vowing to keep the area demilitarised and to protect the Druze minority as deadly clashes continue in the region at the Israeli frontier. A Reuters reporter heard at least four strikes as drones could be heard over the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday and saw a damaged tank being towed away. Dozens of people have been killed in fighting in the region since Sunday. The upsurge in violence underlines the challenges facing interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa who has struggled to assert control over the area near the Israeli border since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December. While Sharaa has been buoyed by rapidly improving ties with US President Donald Trump's administration, the violence has highlighted lingering sectarian tensions and distrust among minority groups towards his Islamist-led government - distrust that was deepened by mass killings of Alawites in March. Israel, which has struck Syria several times in the name of protecting the Druze, carried out its latest attacks after influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri issued a statement accusing government troops of breaching a ceasefire and urging fighters to confront what he described as a barbaric attack. After al-Hajiri appeared in a recorded statement, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra declared that a complete ceasefire was in place, and saying government forces would only open fire if fired upon. Abu Qasra also said military police had been ordered to deploy in Sweida to "control military behaviour and hold violators accountable", the state news agency SANA reported. The Druze are a minority group whose faith is an offshoot of Islam and has followers in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had ordered Israel's military to strike "regime forces" and weaponry brought to Sweida to be used against the Druze. In a statement, they said the deployment of government forces was in violation of a demilitarisation policy that had called on Damascus to refrain from bringing forces and weapons into southern Syria that pose a threat to Israel. "Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherhood alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel," they said. "We are acting to prevent the Syrian regime from harming them and to ensure the demilitarisation of the area adjacent to our border with Syria." The latest violence began on Sunday with fighting between armed Druze groups and Bedouin fighters in Sweida province, which displaced thousands of people. The Druze spiritual leadership said in a statement on Tuesday morning that it would allow Syrian forces to enter Sweida city to stop the bloodshed, calling on armed groups to surrender their weapons and co-operate with incoming troops. But hours later, al-Hajri, a vocal opponent of the new Syrian leadership, said the statement had been "imposed" on them by Damascus and Syrian troops had breached the arrangement by continuing to fire on residents. "We are being subject to a total war of extermination," he said in a recorded video statement. Convoys of Syrian army tanks, trucks and motorcycles entered parts of Sweida city by mid-morning and were continuing to fire on neighbourhoods there, the Reuters reporter in Sweida said. On Monday, Israel's military said it had carried out several strikes on tanks approaching Sweida "to prevent their arrival to the area" because they could pose a threat to Israel.
Canberra Times
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Israel vows to protect Druze as it strikes Syrian city
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News.com.au
10 hours ago
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Syrian forces enter Druze city after deadly clashes
Syrian government forces entered the majority Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday, the interior ministry said, aiming to end clashes with Bedouin tribes that have killed nearly 100 people. The southern city had been under the control of armed factions from the Druze minority, whose religious leaders said they had approved the deployment of Damascus's troops and called on fighters to hand over their weapons. A curfew was to be imposed on the southern city in a bid to halt the violence, which erupted at the weekend and has since spread across Sweida governorate. Government forces said they intervened to separate the two sides but ended up taking control of several Druze areas around Sweida, an AFP correspondent reported. Military columns were seen advancing toward Sweida on Tuesday morning, with heavy artillery deployed nearby. The defence ministry said later that they had entered the city, and urged people to "stay home and report any movements of outlaw groups". An AFP correspondent heard explosions and gunshots as soldiers moved into Sweida. Troops had begun heading towards the city on Monday, taking control of at least one Druze village, with one Druze faction saying talks were underway with the Damascus government. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported 99 people killed since the fighting erupted on Sunday -- 60 Druze, including four civilians, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel and seven unidentified people in military uniforms. The defence ministry reported 18 deaths among the ranks of the armed forces. While Druze religious authorities had called on Monday evening for a ceasefire and said they didn't oppose the central government, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, one of the three Druze spiritual leaders in Sweida, opposed the arrival of the security forces and called for "international protection". Israel, which has attempted to portray itself as a protector of the Druze in Syria and sees them as potential allies, bombed several Syrian tanks on Monday. The strikes were "a clear warning to the Syrian regime -- we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria", said Defence Minister Israel Katz, whose country has its own Druze population. - 'Extreme terror' - The fighting underscores the challenges facing interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces ousted president Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war. Syria's pre-war Druze population was estimated at around 700,000, many of them concentrated in Sweida province. The Druze, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shiite Islam, are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Following deadly clashes with government forces in April and May, local and religious leaders reached an agreement with Damascus under which Druze fighters had been providing security in the province. "We lived in a state of extreme terror -- the shells were falling randomly," said Abu Taym, a 51-year-old father. Amal, a 46-year-old woman, said: "We fear a repeat of the coastal scenario", referring to massacres in March of more than 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians in northwest Syria, where groups affiliated with the government were blamed for most of the killings. "We are not against the state, but we are against surrendering our weapons without a state that treats everyone the same," she added. In a post on X, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra urged his troops to "protect your fellow citizens" from "outlaw gangs", and to "restore stability to Sweida". The violence began on Sunday when Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor on the highway to Damascus, prompting retaliatory kidnappings. The Observatory said members of Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslims, had sided with security forces during earlier confrontations with the Druze. Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, and violence occasionally erupts between the two sides. mam/at/dv/dcp
