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The National
7 days ago
- Politics
- The National
The full story of the Sweida operation: How a lightning offensive became a war
When Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara was considering sending tanks and troops to the mostly Druze province of Sweida amid unrest last month, Interior Minister Anas Khattab assured him the situation would be brought under control within hours. Mr Al Shara took the advice of Mr Khattab over that of Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani, who had been more cautious of another confrontation with the Druze because of the possibility of Israeli attacks. Israel struck Syria in April, saying that it is acting in defence of the Druze. The insights were provided by a source inside Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a group to which the three men belonged. HTS led the offensive that toppled former president Bashar Al Assad in December. 'Instead of a promenade, we lost hundreds of men and Israel kicked us out of Sweida,' the source said. He expected Israel to try to extend its reach by carving out a land link directly to Sweida. 'If the Israelis do that, it would mean the whole of the south has been lost.' The operation in Sweida, where clashes involved Druze fighters, armed Bedouin and security troops, was the costliest violence for the government since it assumed power. It also raised fear among other minorities, especially after the mass killings of Alawite civilians in March, and cast doubt on Mr Al Shara's ability to unify the country after a 13-year civil war under the previous regime. Instead of a promenade, we lost hundreds of men and Israel kicked us out of Sweida HTS source Before Israel launched its strikes, Syrian and Israeli officials had reportedly met in Baku, Azerbaijan, in a process supervised by the US and Turkey that aimed to end a seven-decade state of war. The strikes were probably a 'misunderstanding' between Damascus and Israel, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. In May, Israel 's air force bombed pro-government militias near Damascus and an area just next to the presidential palace. Israel claimed its attacks were carried out in defence of the Druze in Sweida. The sect has members in countries including Jordan and Israel. Mr Khattab presented the Sweida operation as a march, having the support of a Druze militia chief in the province. Mr Khattab cast Laith Al Balous as having 5,000 men under his command, thus depriving Israel of a rationale to intervene in Sweida, the source said. Mr Balous also opposed Druze spiritual leader Hikmat Al Hijri, who had accused the government of extremism and refused to let Mr Al Shara send security forces to Sweida unless they were from the city itself and their names had been agreed on first. 'Balous turned out to be a dud, Khattab overestimated his strength," the source said. The source pointed out that the violence in the province, including executions of civilians and the shaving off of Druze men's moustaches, a symbol of pride, swiftly eroded Mr Balous's support in the community. Mr Khattab also held sway, having served as chief HTS enforcer, preceding Mr Al Shara's leadership of the group, of an 11-day offensive from the northern province of Idlib, which ultimately led to the Assad regime's downfall in Damascus. Mr Khattab led the elimination of rival militants, as HTS established a de facto mini state in Idlib. 'Khattab was the iron striking hand. He is one of the few real decision makers in the system,' the source said. Idlib model Karim Bitar, professor of international relations at St Joseph University of Beirut, said Mr Al Shara and his aides 'appear to be attempting to replicate the Idlib model across Syria'. Idlib was a 'unique case', he said. 'Given Syria's extraordinary diversity, this approach is unlikely to succeed.' In Sweida, 'an unholy alliance' between Israel and former Assad loyalists has weaponised Druze fears, risking broader ethnic fragmentation, Prof Bitar said. Such a scenario would be 'disastrous' for Syria and could destabilise Lebanon, a country whose political fortunes have been tied to Syria since the two gained independence from France in the 1940s. The violence has transformed into low-intensity warfare between Druze defenders of Sweida and security forces and auxiliaries surrounding the city. They include thousands of members of tribes from eastern Syria, who have extensions in neighbouring Jordan. Their deployment has alarmed Jordan, observers say. 'It is seen as contradictory to Al Shara's commitment to regional stabilisation,' a source in the kingdom said. However, Jordan had joined Arab countries and Turkey in condemning the Israeli strikes and supporting Mr Al Shara's commitment to 'security and the rule of law throughout Syria'. The clashes could also undermine a drive by many European governments to return Syrian refugees, a main goal behind a rush to build up ties with Mr Al Shara and provide funding for recovery projects. A European official who recently visited the region to discuss the situation in Syria expected the flow of returning refugees to remain at a trickle, although pressure by some host governments on the refugees has been mounting. The Sweida crisis has provided them with 'more ammunition to resort to the courts and say Syria is not safe", the official said. A diplomatic source at the UN said there remains no alternative for Mr Al Shara, given centrists in Syria have been unable 'to have a structured political presence". 'Can they provide political guidance for the country? I don't think they can,' the source said. Charles Lister, director of the Syria and counterterrorism and extremism programmes at the Middle East Institute, said international support remained firm because foreign powers realise Mr Al Shara has to find the balance between satisfying his Sunni base, absorption of minorities and US expectations for a security agreement with Israel. 'The embrace of minorities is a … double-edged sword in many respects,' Mr Lister said, referring to Sunnis who expect dividends after decades of dispossession under Al Assad Alawite rule. However, US media has reported more splits in Congress over the repeal of the 2019 Caesar Act, the source of major sanctions on Syria, after an American Druze was killed in Sweida. A Syrian politician who met members of Congress last week said lobbyists for Israel had started efforts to counter the administration's support for Mr Al Shara, including defeating a proposal to repeal the Caesar Act. In May, US President Donald Trump started establishing ties with Syria with the aim of making Damascus a counter-terrorism partner and a potential member of the Abraham Accords. 'Congress realise that they should work with the new government because it represents the majority,' the Syrian politician said. 'But they have not seen any progress on inclusion of minorities. The whole of the new security forces are Sunni and they are attacking minorities."
The National
7 days ago
- Politics
- The National
The Sweida operation: How a lightning offensive became a war
When Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara was considering sending tanks and troops to the mostly Druze province of Sweida amid unrest last month, Interior Minister Anas Khattab assured him the situation would be brought under control within hours. Mr Al Shara took the advice of Mr Khattab over that of Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani, who had been more cautious of another confrontation with the Druze because of the possibility of Israeli attacks. Israel struck Syria in April, saying that it is acting in defence of the Druze. The insights were provided by a source inside Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a group to which the three men belonged. HTS led the offensive that toppled former president Bashar Al Assad in December. 'Instead of a promenade, we lost hundreds of men and Israel kicked us out of Sweida,' the source said. He expected Israel to try to extend its reach by carving out a land link directly to Sweida. 'If the Israelis do that, it would mean the whole of the south has been lost.' The operation in Sweida, where clashes involved Druze fighters, armed Bedouin and security troops, was the costliest violence for the government since it assumed power. It also raised fear among other minorities, especially after the mass killings of Alawite civilians in March, and cast doubt on Mr Al Shara's ability to unify the country after a 13-year civil war under the previous regime. Instead of a promenade, we lost hundreds of men and Israel kicked us out of Sweida HTS source Before Israel launched its strikes, Syrian and Israeli officials had reportedly met in Baku, Azerbaijan, in a process supervised by the US and Turkey that aimed to end a seven-decade state of war. The strikes were probably a 'misunderstanding' between Damascus and Israel, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. In May, Israel 's air force bombed pro-government militias near Damascus and an area just next to the presidential palace. Israel claimed its attacks were carried out in defence of the Druze in Sweida. The sect has members in countries including Jordan and Israel. Mr Khattab presented the Sweida operation as a march, having the support of a Druze militia chief in the province. Mr Khattab cast Laith Al Balous as having 5,000 men under his command, thus depriving Israel of a rationale to intervene in Sweida, the source said. Mr Balous also opposed Druze spiritual leader Hikmat Al Hijri, who had accused the government of extremism and refused to let Mr Al Shara send security forces to Sweida unless they were from the city itself and their names had been agreed on first. 'Balous turned out to be a dud, Khattab overestimated his strength," the source said. The source pointed out that the violence in the province, including executions of civilians and the shaving off of Druze men's moustaches, a symbol of pride, swiftly eroded Mr Balous's support in the community. Mr Khattab also held sway, having served as chief HTS enforcer, preceding Mr Al Shara's leadership of the group, of an 11-day offensive from the northern province of Idlib, which ultimately led to the Assad regime's downfall in Damascus. Mr Khattab led the elimination of rival militants, as HTS established a de facto mini state in Idlib. 'Khattab was the iron striking hand. He is one of the few real decision makers in the system,' the source said. Idlib model Karim Bitar, professor of international relations at St Joseph University of Beirut, said Mr Al Shara and his aides 'appear to be attempting to replicate the Idlib model across Syria'. Idlib was a 'unique case', he said. 'Given Syria's extraordinary diversity, this approach is unlikely to succeed.' In Sweida, 'an unholy alliance' between Israel and former Assad loyalists has weaponised Druze fears, risking broader ethnic fragmentation, Prof Bitar said. Such a scenario would be 'disastrous' for Syria and could destabilise Lebanon, a country whose political fortunes have been tied to Syria since the two gained independence from France in the 1940s. The violence has transformed into low-intensity warfare between Druze defenders of Sweida and security forces and auxiliaries surrounding the city. They include thousands of members of tribes from eastern Syria, who have extensions in neighbouring Jordan. Their deployment has alarmed Jordan, observers say. 'It is seen as contradictory to Al Shara's commitment to regional stabilisation,' a source in the kingdom said. However, Jordan had joined Arab countries and Turkey in condemning the Israeli strikes and supporting Mr Al Shara's commitment to 'security and the rule of law throughout Syria'. The clashes could also undermine a drive by many European governments to return Syrian refugees, a main goal behind a rush to build up ties with Mr Al Shara and provide funding for recovery projects. A European official who recently visited the region to discuss the situation in Syria expected the flow of returning refugees to remain at a trickle, although pressure by some host governments on the refugees has been mounting. The Sweida crisis has provided them with 'more ammunition to resort to the courts and say Syria is not safe", the official said. A diplomatic source at the UN said there remains no alternative for Mr Al Shara, given centrists in Syria have been unable 'to have a structured political presence". 'Can they provide political guidance for the country? I don't think they can,' the source said. Charles Lister, director of the Syria and counterterrorism and extremism programmes at the Middle East Institute, said international support remained firm because foreign powers realise Mr Al Shara has to find the balance between satisfying his Sunni base, absorption of minorities and US expectations for a security agreement with Israel. 'The embrace of minorities is a … double-edged sword in many respects,' Mr Lister said, referring to Sunnis who expect dividends after decades of dispossession under Al Assad Alawite rule. However, US media has reported more splits in Congress over the repeal of the 2019 Caesar Act, the source of major sanctions on Syria, after an American Druze was killed in Sweida. A Syrian politician who met members of Congress last week said lobbyists for Israel had started efforts to counter the administration's support for Mr Al Shara, including defeating a proposal to repeal the Caesar Act. In May, US President Donald Trump started establishing ties with Syria with the aim of making Damascus a counter-terrorism partner and a potential member of the Abraham Accords. 'Congress realise that they should work with the new government because it represents the majority,' the Syrian politician said. 'But they have not seen any progress on inclusion of minorities. The whole of the new security forces are Sunni and they are attacking minorities."
Arab News
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Syrian and Turkish interior ministers discuss security cooperation in Ankara
LONDON: Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab discussed various topics with his Turkish counterpart, Ali Yerlikaya, during his official visit to Ankara this week. The two ministers explored ways to strengthen security cooperation and coordination, in addition to supporting and developing Syrian security institutions. Khattab highlighted the status of Syrian nationals who sought refuge in Turkiye during the civil war, calling for continued cooperation with Ankara to ensure their safe return home, the SANA agency reported. Yerlikaya wrote on X that his meeting with Khattab focused on providing essential support to the security and related units of the Syrian Interior Ministry. '(We discussed) sharing experience and providing an intensive training program and cooperating on the return of Syrians under temporary protection in our country,' he said. 'Strengthening security in Syria is vital for the consolidation of internal peace, economic development and social welfare,' he added, affirming Turkiye's support of Syria's stability.
CNA
21-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Bedouin civilians evacuate Syria's Sweida as tense truce holds
DAMASCUS: Hundreds of Bedouin civilians were evacuated from Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Monday (Jul 21) as part of a US-backed truce meant to end fighting that has killed hundreds of people, state media and witnesses said. With hundreds reported killed, the violence in the southern province of Sweida has posed a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, drawing Israeli airstrikes on his government last week and deepening fissures in a country fractured by 14 years of sectarian civil war. A ceasefire took hold on Sunday as interior ministry security forces deployed on Sweida's outskirts. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said on Sunday the truce would allow for the release of hostages and detainees held by the warring sides. On Monday morning, ambulances, trucks and buses ferried hundreds of Bedouin civilians including women, children and wounded people out of Sweida to nearby displacement camps, Reuters footage showed. The initial batch included some 300 Bedouins and a second group of about 550 civilians will be evacuated within the next 24 hours if the situation remains calm, said Shoaib Asfour, a member of the Syrian security forces overseeing the evacuation. The next phase would see the evacuation of Bedouin fighters detained by Druze militias and the transfer of bodies of Bedouins killed in the fighting, Asfour said. Syria's state news agency said a total of 1,500 Bedouins would be evacuated from Sweida city. Citing Ahmed al-Dalati, head of Syria's internal security forces in Sweida, state media said those forces would also facilitate the return to Sweida of others displaced from it. According to the United Nations, at least 93,000 people have been uprooted by the fighting - most of them within Sweida province but others to Daraa province to the west, or north to the countryside around the capital Damascus. The UN said on Sunday that humanitarian convoys with medical supplies had been waiting to enter Sweida for two days but were not granted access. It said only a convoy of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent had been allowed to enter. PRESSURES ON SYRIA'S MOSAIC The Druze are a small but influential minority in Syria, Israel and Lebanon who follow a religion that is an offshoot of a branch of Islam. Some ultra-conservative Sunni Muslims deem Druze beliefs to be heretical. The fighting began a week ago with clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters. Damascus sent troops to quell the fighting, but they were drawn into the violence and accused of widespread violations against the Druze. Residents of Sweida said friends and neighbours were shot at close range in their homes or in the streets by Syrian troops, identified by their fatigues and insignia. Luna Albassit, a Druze activist in the town of Shahba in Sweida province, said the situation after so much bloodshed remained tense despite the end to clashes late on Sunday. "People were killed in the streets, in their homes, they were humiliated and it was in the name of the state," she said. Hamzah Mustafa, Syria's information minister, told Reuters last week that the Damascus government strongly condemned all abuses and rejected sectarian violence in all its forms. Interim President al-Sharaa has promised to protect the rights of Druze and hold to account those who committed violations against "our Druze people". He has blamed the violence on "outlaw groups". After Israel bombed Syrian government forces in Sweida and hit the defence ministry in Damascus last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded the demilitarisation of southern Syrian territory near the border, stretching from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain, east of Sweida. He also said Israel would protect the Druze.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bedouin civilians evacuate Syria's Sweida as tense truce holds
Bedouin civilians evacuate Syria's Sweida as tense truce holds DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Hundreds of Bedouin civilians were evacuated from Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Monday as part of a U.S.-backed truce meant to end fighting that has killed hundreds of people, state media and witnesses said. With hundreds reported killed, the violence in the southern province of Sweida has posed a major test for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, drawing Israeli airstrikes on his Islamist-led government last week and deepening fissures in a country fractured by 14 years of sectarian civil war. A ceasefire took hold on Sunday as interior ministry security forces deployed on Sweida's outskirts. Interior Minister Anas Khattab said on Sunday the truce would allow for the release of hostages and detainees held by the warring sides. On Monday morning, ambulances, trucks and buses ferried hundreds of Bedouin civilians including women, children and wounded people out of Sweida to nearby displacement camps, Reuters footage showed. The initial batch included some 300 Bedouins and a second group of about 550 civilians will be evacuated within the next 24 hours if the situation remains calm, said Shoaib Asfour, a member of the Syrian security forces overseeing the evacuation. The next phase would see the evacuation of Bedouin fighters detained by Druze militias and the transfer of bodies of Bedouins killed in the fighting, Asfour said. Syria's state news agency said a total of 1,500 Bedouins would be evacuated from Sweida city. Citing Ahmed al-Dalati, head of Syria's internal security forces in Sweida, state media said those forces would also facilitate the return to Sweida of others displaced from it. According to the United Nations, at least 93,000 people have been uprooted by the fighting - most of them within Sweida province but others to Daraa province to the west, or north to the countryside around the capital Damascus. The U.N. said on Sunday that humanitarian convoys with medical supplies had been waiting to enter Sweida for two days but were not granted access. It said only a convoy of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent had been allowed to enter. PRESSURES ON SYRIA'S MOSAIC The Druze are a small but influential minority in Syria, Israel and Lebanon who follow a religion that is an offshoot of a branch of Islam. Some ultra-conservative Sunni Muslims deem Druze beliefs to be heretical. The fighting began a week ago with clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters. Damascus sent troops to quell the fighting, but they were drawn into the violence and accused of widespread violations against the Druze. Residents of Sweida said friends and neighbours were shot at close range in their homes or in the streets by Syrian troops, identified by their fatigues and insignia. Luna Albassit, a Druze activist in the town of Shahba in Sweida province, said the situation after so much bloodshed remained tense despite the end to clashes late on Sunday. "People were killed in the streets, in their homes, they were humiliated and it was in the name of the state," she said. Hamzah Mustafa, Syria's information minister, told Reuters last week that the Damascus government strongly condemned all abuses and rejected sectarian violence in all its forms. Interim President al-Sharaa has promised to protect the rights of Druze and hold to account those who committed violations against "our Druze people". He has blamed the violence on "outlaw groups". After Israel bombed Syrian government forces in Sweida and hit the defence ministry in Damascus last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded the demilitarisation of southern Syrian territory near the border, stretching from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain, east of Sweida. He also said Israel would protect the Druze. Solve the daily Crossword
