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Middle East latest: White House admits strikes in Gaza and Syria caught Trump 'off guard' - as he warns Iran

Middle East latest: White House admits strikes in Gaza and Syria caught Trump 'off guard' - as he warns Iran

Sky News22-07-2025
In Syria, security forces have been deployed to the outskirts of towns and villages in a bid to keep a recently-declared ceasefire intact.
Security forces were seen near the town of Busra al Harir in the Daraa countryside to prevent tribal forces from advancing towards the Druze villages yesterday.
The country's armed Bedouin clans announced that they had withdrawn from the Druze-majority city of Sweida after week-long clashes and a US-brokered ceasefire on Sunday.
The clashes between militias of the Druze religious minority and the Sunni Muslim clans killed hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria's already fragile post-war transition.
Israel also launched dozens of airstrikes in the Druze-majority Sweida province, targeting government forces who had effectively sided with the Bedouins.
The clashes also led to a series of targeted sectarian attacks against the Druze community, followed by revenge attacks against the Bedouins.
Yesterday, hundreds of Bedouin civilians were evacuated from Sweida as part of the truce, according to state media.
Watch below: Analyst Michael Clarke explains who the Druze and Bedouin groups are
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