Sweida stand-off eases as Syria set for talks with Israel
The retreat of about 500 gunmen comes before a US -supervised meeting between Syrian and Israeli officials to contain the conflict, which has affected regional stability.
The withdrawal of fighters stationed at the rear of the front line has lessened the thrust of an offensive on the north-western approaches to Sweida city, the provincial capital, the sources said.
Sweida's Druze defenders have resisted waves of attacks since June 10 but hundreds of members of the sect have been killed. Israeli raids to defend Syria 's Druze, and US diplomatic pressure on Damascus, have contributed to curbing the government attacks.
Israeli and Syrian officials will meet in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on Thursday to discuss containing the hostilities. Axios first reported that Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria and Turkey, had arranged the meeting. However, officials from Turkey, the most powerful backer of the post- Bashar Al Assad government in Syria, will also be present in Baku, along with US officials, two diplomats said.
In the past 24 hours, an auxiliary force comprised mainly of militiamen from the mostly Sunni governorate of Deraa, a launch pad of attacks on Sweida, has dispersed to other areas in Deraa, the sources said.
'Israeli drones have been hovering over their heads, and they risked being wiped out had they tried to advance,' said one of the sources, who has been monitoring the conflict from Jordan's border with Sweida.
The force was part of a loose 1,000-man formation led by army and intelligence officers who have been using drones and Grad rockets to attack rural Druze areas next to the city of Shahba, near Sweida city.
Israel conducted an aerial campaign last week that killed hundreds of Syrian military personnel, curbing a government offensive on Sweida. The city's Druze leadership has largely opposed attempts by Damascus to send security forces to take control of the area. The central government is dominated by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a splinter group of Al Qaeda that ousted the former regime in December.
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