US Envoy Urges Calm and Dialogue to Resolve Syria Disputes

Asharq Al-Awsat

2 days ago

The US special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, on Monday voiced concern over fresh outbreaks of violence in Sweida in southern Syria and Manbij in the northeast, calling for dialogue to resolve disputes.
'Disturbing violence erupted yesterday in Sweida, and in Manbij. Diplomacy is the best way to stop violence and build a peaceful, lasting solution,' Barrack wrote on X.
'The path ahead belongs to Syrians — urging all sides to uphold calm and resolve differences through dialogue, not bloodshed. Syria deserves stability. Syrians deserve peace,' he added.
Meanwhile, Syrian authorities reopened a humanitarian corridor in Busra al-Sham in southern Daraa province after securing the area from what state media described as 'mutinous al-Hijri gangs,' who reportedly violated a ceasefire in Sweida the day before.
According to the state-run SANA news agency, the armed groups attacked internal security forces at several points and shelled villages in Sweida's western countryside, leaving several security personnel dead or wounded.
The Interior Ministry had temporarily closed the crossing on Sunday, citing concerns for civilian safety, SANA reported. The ministry said security forces repelled the attacks on positions in Tal al-Hadid, Rimat Hazm, and Walgha, retaking control and restoring calm to preserve the ceasefire.
Relief and humanitarian aid resumed delivery to Sweida through Busra al-Sham on Monday as part of government efforts to meet residents' needs.
On Sunday, Sweida's internal security chief, Ahmad al-Dalati, said armed groups had launched deadly attacks in the province's countryside before security forces regained control.
A commander in Sweida's 'Joint Operations Room' claimed coordination was underway with US and Israeli counterparts to secure international protection and establish an investigative committee into last month's violence.
He described ties with Israel as 'positive,' calling it 'an important player in the region' and crediting it with repelling attacks on Sweida. 'We are asking for its protection,' he said.
The remarks were made to Asharq al-Awsat after the first meeting of the Syrian investigative committee into the recent Sweida violence, which erupted between local and tribal armed groups.
Tareq al-Maghoush, a prominent figure in the local opposition, reiterated rejection of the Syrian government's investigative committee, citing both factional and popular opposition.
He said Sweida's 'Operations Room' had barred the committee from operating in the province, branding it 'illegitimate,' and would inform its members to leave 'politely.'
The 'Operations Room,' composed of local Druze factions, was formed in December 2024 at the launch of the 'Deterrence of Aggression' campaign, which it claims expelled the Assad regime from several provinces, starting in Aleppo and reaching the outskirts of Damascus.
Maghoush, who says he works under the spiritual leadership of Druze cleric Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, said the Sheikh personally approved the creation of the 'Operations Room' and tasked him with various files.
A ceasefire agreement on July 20 ended a week-long conflict between Druze fighters and tribal militants. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said at least 814 people were killed and over 903 wounded in Sweida between July 13 and 20.
The toll includes civilians—among them women, children, and medical staff—as well as fighters from tribal armed groups and local factions outside government control. Members of the Syrian opposition's internal security forces and defense ministry were also among the casualties.
The violence displaced 176,000 people, according to United Nations data. Shelling reached central Damascus, hitting sites near the defense ministry, the presidential palace compound, and the national library.
On Thursday, the Syrian justice ministry announced the formation of an official committee to 'investigate the causes and circumstances' behind the violence, look into 'assaults and violations,' and refer perpetrators to the judiciary.
But protests broke out the next day in Sweida, with demonstrators demanding an independent international investigation and rejecting the Syrian committee. Some protesters waved the Israeli flag.
Judge Hatim al-Nassan, head of the official inquiry, said during the committee's first meeting that they were open to engaging with the people of Sweida, calling them 'an essential component of the country.' But he warned that raising the Israeli flag on Syrian soil 'is a crime that must be punished.'
The committee said it would immediately begin meetings with officials in Sweida and Daraa, as well as those affected by the violence.
According to Syria TV, the committee insisted that an international inquiry was unnecessary as long as the Syrian state remained capable of investigating on its own.