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Druze-Sunni clashes: Almost 600 killed in south Syria violence, says war monitor
Syria's security forces enter the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on July 15, 2025, following clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters. Syrian government forces entered the majority Druze city of Sweida on July 15, 2025, the interior ministry said, aiming to end clashes with Bedouin tribes that have killed nearly 100 people. (Photo by Sam HARIRI / AFP)
Nearly 600 people have died in southern Syria amidst recent violence, according to a monitoring group, as reported by the BBC. The UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) documented that 594 individuals have been killed in the Suweida province since Sunday, marking a significant outbreak of brutality.
The violence, which has taken on a sectarian dimension, was reportedly sparked by a dispute between the Bedouin and Druze communities. The SOHR stated that 300 members of the Druze religious minority were among the dead, including 146 fighters and 154 civilians. The report further noted that 83 Druze civilians were 'summarily executed' by government forces.
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In addition, at least 257 government personnel and 18 Bedouin fighters were killed, the SOHR added. It also stated that Druze fighters summarily killed three Bedouin civilians. Furthermore, 15 government personnel were reportedly killed in Israeli air strikes, which Israel claimed were carried out to protect the Druze and force government forces to withdraw from Suweida, according to the BBC.
While it was not immediately possible to verify the SOHR's figures, security sources cited by the BBC put the death toll at 300. Another monitoring group, the Syrian Network for Human Rights, stated it had documented the deaths of at least 169 civilians.
An uneasy calm has mostly held on Thursday, with the withdrawal of government forces from the Druze-majority city of Suweida, according to the BBC. Residents reported scenes of damage and looting, as well as bodies being found in the streets. Convoys of fighters from Syria's Islamist-led government began entering the city on Monday, ostensibly to restore order following the clashes between the Druze and Bedouin.
The Syrian government announced a ceasefire on Wednesday evening ahead of its withdrawal. However, one prominent Druze leader, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, rejected it, calling for further fighting until the 'total liberation of our province from gangs', referring to government forces, the BBC noted. Sheikh Hajri, whose followers led the fighting against the government's forces, has sought to forge close relationships with Israel.
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel intended to continue imposing its interests on Syria with force. Netanyahu said that Israel's intervention in the clashes was partly to protect the Druze, but also to prevent the Syrian military from deploying in the south of the country.
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a televised statement on Wednesday evening that Israel's attacks were an attempt to destabilise his country. Addressing Syria's Druze, he affirmed that protecting their rights and freedoms is among the government's top priorities, the BBC reports.
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The UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA, stated that 'nearly 2,000 families have been displaced' by the violence across the southern province.
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