Syria clears fighters from Druze city of Suwayda, declares halt to clashes
The announcement on Saturday came after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ordered a new ceasefire between Bedouin and Druze groups, following a separate United States-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention in the clashes.
Shortly before the government's claim, there were reports of machinegun fire in the city of Suwayda as well as mortar shelling in nearby villages.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Nour al-Din Baba, a spokesman for the Syrian Ministry of Interior, said in a statement carried by the official Sana news agency that the fighting ended 'following intensive efforts' to implement the ceasefire agreement and the deployment of government forces in the northern and western areas of Suwayda province.
He said the city of Suwayda, located in the province's west, has now been 'cleared of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city's neighbourhoods have been brought to a halt'.
Israeli intervention
The fighting broke out last week when the abduction of a Druze truck driver on a public highway set off a series of revenge attacks and resulted in tribal fighters from all over the country streaming into Suwayda in support of the Bedouin community there.
The clashes drew in Syrian government troops, too.
Israel intervened in the conflict on Wednesday, carrying out heavy air attacks on Suwayda and Syria's capital, Damascus, claiming it was to protect the Druze community after leaders of the minority group accused government forces of abuses against them.
Syrian government troops withdrew from Suwayda on Thursday.
At least 260 people have been killed in the fighting, and 1,700 others have been wounded, according to the Syrian Ministry of Health. Other groups, however, put the figure at more than 900 killed.
More than 87,000 people have also been displaced.
The fighting is the latest challenge to al-Sharaa's government, which took over after toppling President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Al-Sharaa, in a televised statement on Saturday, called on all parties to lay down arms and help the government restore peace.
'While we thank the [Bedouin] clans for their heroic stance, we call on them to adhere to the ceasefire and follow the orders of the state,' he said. 'All should understand this moment requires unity and full cooperation, so we can overcome these challenges and preserve our country from foreign interference and internal sedition.'
He condemned Israel's intervention in the unrest, saying it 'pushed the country into a dangerous phase that threatened its stability'.
After the president's announcement, the Syrian government began deploying troops to Suwayda and Bedouin groups said they would withdraw from the city of Suwayda.
'Following consultations with all members of Suwayda's clans and tribes, we have decided to adhere to the ceasefire, prioritise reason and restraint, and allow the state's authorised institutions the space to carry out their responsibilities in restoring security and stability,' the Bedouin factions said in a statement.
'Therefore, we declare that all our fighters have been withdrawn from the city of Suwayda,' they added.
Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall, reporting from Damascus, said the Druze, too, seemed to have accepted the truce.
'Hikmat Al Hajri, a prominent spiritual leader, has called for all Bedouin fighters to be escorted safely out of Suwayda,' he said.
'Security forces from the interior ministry have been deployed to help separate rival groups, and oversee the implementation of the ceasefire. But there are still reports of ongoing fighting in the city, with some Druze leaders voicing strong opposition to the cessation of hostilities,' he said.
'So while there is hope, there is also doubt that this conflict is over,' Vall added.
World welcomes truce
Jordan, meanwhile, hosted talks with Syria and the US on efforts to consolidate the ceasefire in Suwayda.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shibani and the US special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barak, 'discussed the situation in Syria and efforts to consolidate the ceasefire reached around Suwayda Governorate to prevent bloodshed and preserve the safety of civilians', according to a readout by the Jordanian government.
The three officials agreed on 'practical steps' to support the ceasefire, including the release of detainees held by all parties, Syrian security force deployments and community reconciliation efforts.
Safadi also welcomed the Syrian government's 'commitment to holding accountable all those responsible for violations against Syrian citizens' in the Suwayda area, the statement said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also commented on the developments in Syria in a post on X, urging Syrian government troops to prevent fighters from entering Suwayda and 'carrying out massacres'.
'They must hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks,' he said. 'Furthermore the fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups inside the perimeter must also stop immediately.'
Countries around the world also called for the truce to be upheld.
The United Kingdom's foreign secretary, David Lammy, said in a post on X that he was horrified by the violence in southern Syria and that 'a sustainable ceasefire is vital'.
France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs stressed the need for 'Syrian authorities to ensure the safety and rights of all segments of the Syrian people', and called for investigations into abuses against civilians in Suwayda.
Japan also expressed concern over the violence, including the Israeli strikes, and called for the ceasefire to be implemented swiftly.
It added that it 'strongly urges all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint, preserve Syria's territorial integrity and national unity, and respect its independence and sovereignty'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Iran ready for war with Israel, will not halt nuclear programme: Pezeshkian
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has said his country is prepared for any war Israel might wage against it, adding he was not optimistic about the ceasefire between the countries, while confirming Tehran is committed to continuing its nuclear programme for peaceful purposes. Pezeshkian made the comments in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera aired on Wednesday, which was the Iranian leader's first televised interview since the end of the 12-day conflict with Israel last month, in which the United States intervened on Israel's behalf, launching strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The comments come as Western nations say they are seeking a solution to Iran's ongoing nuclear ambitions in the wake of the conflict, amid reports that strikes on its nuclear facilities were less damaging than claimed by Washington. 'We are fully prepared for any new Israeli military move, and our armed forces are ready to strike deep inside Israel again,' Pezeshkian told Al Jazeera. Iran was not relying on the ceasefire that ended the 12-day war to hold, he said. 'We are not very optimistic about it,' said Pezeshkian. 'That is why we have prepared ourselves for any possible scenario and any potential response. Israel has harmed us, and we have also harmed it. It has dealt us powerful blows, and we have struck it hard in its depths, but it is concealing its losses.' He added that Israel's strikes, which assassinated leading military figures and nuclear scientists, and damaged nuclear facilities, had sought to 'eliminate' Iran's hierarchy, 'but it has completely failed to do so'. More than 900 people were killed in Iran, large numbers of them civilians, and at least 28 people were killed in Israel before a ceasefire took hold on June 24. Enrichment programme will continue Pezeshkian said Iran would continue its uranium enrichment programme despite international opposition, saying the development of its nuclear abilities would be carried out 'within the framework of international laws'. '[US President Donald] Trump says that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon and we accept this because we reject nuclear weapons and this is our political, religious, humanitarian and strategic position,' he said. 'We believe in diplomacy, so any future negotiations must be according to a win-win logic, and we will not accept threats and dictates.' He said the claim from Trump 'that our nuclear programme is over is just an illusion'. 'Our nuclear capabilities are in the minds of our scientists and not in the facilities,' he said. Pezeshkian's comments echoed earlier remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said in an interview with US broadcaster Fox News aired Monday that Tehran would never abandon its uranium enrichment programme, but was open to a negotiated solution to its nuclear ambitions, in which it would guarantee that the programme was for peaceful purposes in response for the lifting of sanctions. Israel sought to 'overthrow' leadership Pezeshkian also addressed an attempt by Israel to assassinate him at a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council in Tehran on June 15, which was reported to have left him with minor injuries. Asked about the assassination attempt, he said it had been part of a plan by Israeli commanders to target Iran's political leadership in the wake of its assassination of senior military figures, in a bid 'to put the country into chaos in order to overthrow it completely'. But the plan had failed, he said. He also stressed that Tehran's strikes on Qatar's Al Udeid base in the wake of US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities had not been an attack on Qatar and its people. 'We do not even have a thought or imagination that there should be hostility or rivalry between us and the state of Qatar,' he said, adding that he had called Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the day of the strikes to explain his position. 'I say clearly and honestly that we did not attack the State of Qatar, but we attacked a base for America that bombed our country while all our intentions towards Qatar and its people are good and positive.' Talks with European powers to resume Araghchi said on Monday that Iran's Atomic Energy Organization is still evaluating how the attacks last month had affected Iran's enriched material, saying Tehran would soon inform the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its findings. He said Iran had not stopped cooperation with the IAEA, adding that any request for the IAEA to send inspectors back to Iran would be 'carefully considered'. IAEA inspectors left Iran earlier this month after Pezeshkian signed a law suspending cooperation with the agency. Meanwhile, talks are set to take place between Iran, France, Germany and the UK in Turkiye on Friday. The three European parties to the former Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which Tehran signed with several world powers in 2015 before the US pulled out in 2018, have said Tehran's failure to resume negotiations would lead to international sanctions being reimposed on it.
Al Jazeera
6 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
EU warns Israel as Trump's envoy heads to Europe for Gaza truce talks
The European Union has warned Israel of action over a worsening starvation crisis in Gaza, where the number of Palestinians who have died from starvation has risen to at least 101. The warning from the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, came on Tuesday, as the United States said President Donald Trump's special envoy would be travelling to Europe for talks on a ceasefire in Gaza this week. In a post on X, Kallas said that 'all options remain on the table if Israel doesn't deliver on its pledges' to increase humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave. She also said Israel's killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza was 'indefensible' and that she had spoken to Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Saar 'to recall our understanding on aid flow and made clear that [Israeli military] must stop killing people at distribution points'. Earlier this month, following an EU meeting to review the bloc's relations with Israel over mounting criticism of its war on Gaza, Kallas said that Israel had agreed to improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave. These included pledges to increase the number of aid trucks, crossing points and routes to distribution points. But aid officials say the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza has not increased despite that agreement. The US, meanwhile, said that Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, will be travelling to a European country for talks on a truce, as well as on finalising an aid 'corridor' for Gaza. He may then head to the Middle East for more talks, according to media reports. 'Strong hope' Axios, a US news outlet, reported that Witkoff will be travelling to the Italian city of Rome on Wednesday and will meet with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and a senior Qatari envoy on Thursday. If sufficient progress is made, Witkoff will travel from Rome to the Qatari capital, Doha, towards the end of the week to secure a deal, the website reported, citing two US and Israeli sources familiar with the details. The US State Department told reporters that Witkoff was heading to the region with 'a strong hope that we will come forward with another ceasefire as well as a humanitarian corridor for aid to flow'. Spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to give further details on the corridor. 'I would suggest that we might have some good news, but, again, as we know, this could be a constantly changing dynamic,' she said. Israel cut off all goods from entering the territory in March, but has allowed in a trickle of aid starting in May, mostly through the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and bypassing the United Nations. The GHF has set up four distribution points in south and central Gaza, and according to the UN, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians seeking food aid since the group began its operations in late May. Most of the victims were killed at or near the GHF sites. The killings come as the number of people starving to death in Gaza also rises, with health authorities reporting 101 deaths since the war began, including 80 children. Most of the deaths have come in the last few weeks. On Tuesday alone, the figure was 15, with four children among the victims. Israel denies responsibility for the shortages of food in Gaza, while the GHF has also rejected what it said were 'false and exaggerated statistics' from the UN about the killings at its aid sites. Qatar calls for more pressure The US, Qatar and Egypt have been pushing for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas for months, but a breakthrough has so far eluded them. The two sides have been discussing via the mediators a US-proposal for a 60-day truce in which Hamas would free more of the Israeli captives it is holding in Gaza, while Israel would release Palestinian prisoners and let in humanitarian aid. During that period, they would also begin negotiations on a permanent end to the war. While there has been some minor progress, officials say that Israel and Hamas remain divided on the extent to which Israeli troops would withdraw after any ceasefire takes place. Qatar has meanwhile called on the US and the international community to put more pressure on Israel. Foreign Ministry official Majed al-Ansari told a conference that 'the Israeli government does not view Palestinians as human beings' and that Israel's reckless behaviour, not only in Gaza, but also with its attacks on Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, has endangered security in the Middle East. 'We are hopeful [for ceasefire talks], but the parameters remain. If there is no change in the Israeli directive not to have a deal and sabotage any talks, if there is no serious pressure from the international community, particularly the United States, the parameters of the talks will not change,' he said. 'But we are doing right now is trying to push using the momentum was created by another mediation that we were doing, which is the ceasefire between Iran and Israel to make sure that momentum helps us reach a deal between both sides, and hopefully get us to an end to this terrible chapter in the history of our region,' he added.
Al Jazeera
17 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
More than 1,400 killed in sectarian violence in coastal Syria, report finds
More than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed in several days of sectarian violence in Syria's coastal regions earlier this year, a government committee tasked with investigating the attacks has found. The committee said it had identified 298 suspects implicated in serious violations during the violence in the country's Alawite heartland that left at least 1,426 members of the minority community dead in March. Tuesday's findings come after a new wave of violence involving the country's Druze community, raising further questions over the new government's ability to manage sectarian tensions and maintain security after the December overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad – himself an Alawite. The March violence took place in a predominantly Alawite region of Syria's coast, where government forces and allied groups were accused of carrying out summary executions, mostly targeting Alawite civilians, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights saying more than 1,700 people were killed. The committee's report said there was no evidence that Syria's military leadership ordered attacks on the Alawite community. The committee's investigation documented 'serious violations against civilians on March 7, 8 and 9, including murder, premeditated murder, looting, destruction and burning of homes, torture and sectarian insults', spokesman Yasser al-Farhan told a news conference in Damascus. The committee confirmed 'the names of 1,426 dead, including 90 women, with most of the rest being civilians' from the Alawite community, he said, adding that an unspecified number of further dead had not been verified. The investigation also 'identified 298 individuals by name' who were suspected of involvement in the violations, al-Farhan continued, describing the figure as provisional. These have been referred for prosecution, and 37 people have been arrested, officials told journalists. They didn't say how many suspects were members of security forces. 'Bigger than just violations' Authorities have accused gunmen loyal to al-Assad of instigating the violence, launching deadly attacks that killed dozens of security personnel. The committee said 238 members of the army and security forces were killed in the attacks in the provinces of Tartous, Latakia and Hama. About 200,000 pro-government military reinforcements then converged on the area, according to al-Farhan. Jana Mustafa, a 24-year-old student from Baniyas whose father was killed during the violence, said she had not been waiting for the report 'because the truth was clear to me'. 'The number of bodies, the mass graves and the screams of the victims were enough to clarify what happened,' she said, expressing disappointment that the committee's announcements appeared to include 'justifications for everything that happened'. 'The issue is bigger than just violations. It was directed against an entire sect,' she added. The committee said it based its report on more than 30 on-site visits, meetings with dozens of people in the towns and villages where violations occurred, and testimonies from hundreds of witnesses and victims. It also heard from government officials. Al-Farhan said the committee had identified people 'linked to certain military groups and factions' among those involved in the violence, adding it believed they 'violated military orders and are suspected of committing violations against civilians'. 'Disappointed and frustrated' Rama Hussein, 22, whose three sisters, two cousins and grandfather were killed in the Jableh region, said she was 'sad, disappointed and frustrated' with the committee. 'No one listened to my testimony, no one visited us – I don't know who this committee met or who they saw,' she said. 'I hope we see real accountability, not just reports and press conferences,' she said, calling for compensation for the families of those killed. Human rights groups and international organisations have said entire families were killed, including women, children and the elderly. Gunmen stormed homes and asked residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before killing or sparing them, they said. Committee chairman Jumaa al-Anzi said authorities had been consulted to identify individuals who appeared in videos on social media documenting violations, and that some of them were included among the suspects. The body said two lists of people 'suspected of involvement in attacks or violations' had been referred to the judiciary. Al-Anzi, the committee's chair, said that 'we have no evidence that the [military] leaders gave orders to commit violations'. The presidency had said new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa had received the committee's report on July 13, the same day that sectarian violence erupted in the Druze-majority province of Suwayda. Those clashes broke out between Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans and Druze armed groups, and government security forces who intervened to restore order. Druze armed groups launched revenge attacks on Bedouin communities. Hundreds have been killed, and the United Nations says more than 128,500 people have been displaced. The violence has largely stopped as a ceasefire takes hold. The committee chair said the violence in Suwayda is 'painful for all Syrians' but 'beyond the jurisdiction' of his committee. 'Time will reveal what happened and who is responsible for it,' he said.
