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The National
4 days ago
- Politics
- The National
In devastated Sweida, survivors tell of death, violence and despair
When five armed men in military fatigues stormed the guesthouse where Hatem Radwan and his family were sheltering in Sweida, he did what tradition dictated: he offered them coffee. His offer was met with bullets as the assailants opened fire, killing 11 members of the Radwan family, a long-established name in Sweida, in southern Syria. Mr Radwan miraculously survived. 'I was sitting right here,' he said, pointing to the centre of the room. A bullet had grazed his face, striking the portrait of one of the family's sheikhs hanging just above his head. 'I have no idea how I'm still alive,' he added. He recalled the gunmen shouting: 'You're all Druze pigs', smashing traditional decorations and playing with swords mounted on the wall, before opening fire. The Radwan family had taken refuge in the guesthouse that Tuesday morning, amid worsening clashes between Druze militias, Syrian troops and armed Bedouin. The violence was closing in. Unknown cars roamed the streets and the sound of gunfire drew nearer. But in the madafeh, they believed they were safe. This traditional communal guesthouse had historically served as a neutral and protected space for receiving guests, elders and mediators. Weapons are banned there. Videos filmed shortly after the massacre show bodies piled on top of one another, lying in pools of blood that still stained the floor more than a week later, when The National visited Sweida on Thursday. Mr Radwan said the corpses of his relatives, soaked in blood, were slipping from his hands as he tried to move them. Wave of violence The clashes erupted in Sweida last week, as attacks between Bedouin and Druze factions escalated into widespread violence, killing more than 1,000 people. Syrian government forces were deployed to contain the unrest, but Druze militias, who deeply distrust the new Syrian authorities and viewed them as siding with the Bedouin, mobilised to push them back. Mr Radwan's account is among many harrowing testimonies shared with The National by residents of the devastated provincial capital of Sweida. He said he could not identify who killed his family. Other Sweida residents said they saw men in official security force uniforms participating in the violence. The National could not independently verify all the witness accounts. A precarious calm has since returned to Sweida, after a ceasefire was reached between Druze leaders and Damascus on Wednesday. Syria's President Ahmad Al Shara, seen as more sympathetic to the Bedouin, vowed that those responsible for abuses would be held accountable, vowing to protect the Druze minority, while praising the tribes for their 'heroic actions' against Druze 'outlaw groups'. Stench of death Days of violence have turned Sweida into a war zone. Inside homes, bullets and children's toys meld on the ground. Many shops and houses, their walls blackened by fire, have been looted while shards of glass litter the streets. Charred Syrian army tanks line the roads, struck by Israeli forces. Israel, which distrusts the new Syrian government led by a disarmed faction formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda, has intervened in the conflict, claiming to defend the Druze, a religious minority which also has followers in Israel. Graffiti bears the names of tribal groups that fought against Druze militias inside the city. The conflict between Druze, considered heretics by some extremist Sunni militant groups, and Sunni Bedouin communities has deep historical roots but had never reached this level of brutality during the Syrian civil war. Sweida had largely been spared the worst of that conflict. But now a suffocating stench of blood hangs across the area, after bodies were left for days decomposing in the scorching heat. Counting the dead The Sweida National Hospital has been documenting the toll of the violence. Doctor Akraim Naim told The National that the facility has received 509 bodies 'so far'. Medical staff have photographed each victim they received. On his computer, Mr Naim showed some of the images, including the bodies of women and children. Among them was three-month-old Sirine Gharezzeddine, her round baby face covered in blood, and her mother, Dalal. Dr Naim said most of the victims were civilians. 'Is this man a fighter?' he said, showing a picture of a dead elderly man. 'Is this woman a fighter too?' he asked. On Monday, more than 100 bodies of Sweida residents were buried in a mass grave on the outskirts of the city. The corpses were lined up across a stretch of nearly 20 metres. Blood from the lorry that transported them stained the road in front of the burial site. At the Sweida hospital, six bodies from Bedouin communities remain in a room, lying in a dark pool of blood, still awaiting return to their families. Besieged city As survivors mourn their dead, they continue to suffer. While fighting has stopped inside the city of Sweida, residents remain trapped due to sporadic clashes on the outskirts. The situation remains volatile. Armed tribesmen from across Syria, mobilised by a call to arms against Druze factions, remain deployed around the city's periphery. Meanwhile, Sheikh Hikmat Al Hijri, one of the community's spiritual leaders, has refused to allow government forces to re-enter the city and has rejected the terms of the ceasefire. Residents said Sweida is under siege, with little humanitarian aid reaching the city. People were seen waiting in lines for hours, hoping to buy five litres of fuel, the capped limit. Inside Sweida, where residents had once celebrated the fall of the Assad regime, many now say they have lost faith in the new authorities. 'We had some trust in them,' said a relative of Mr Radwan. But after violence in Sweida, 'they didn't just destroy our trust, they shattered the Syrian identity', he said.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Syria minister on ceasefire in Sweida province following deadly clashes
Syria's Minister of Information said Saturday that the first phase of a ceasefire between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze-linked militias in Sweida will be in effect for the next 48 hours. Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has urged Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes to 'fully commit' to the truce, following clashes that left hundreds dead and threatened to unravel the country's postwar transition. (AP video by Ghaith Alsayed and Abdelrahman Shaheen)
ABC News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Who are the Druze and why does Israel say it is bombing Syria for their sake?
Sectarian clashes that shook southern Syria this week have killed hundreds of people, including civilians, and drawn in an array of local and international players. The outbreak of violence underscored the new Syrian government's struggle to consolidate control over the country, months after longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was ousted by Islamist-led rebels. On Wednesday, Israel launched air strikes on Syria's capital, Damascus, while also hitting government forces in the south, in an operation it says was aimed at protecting a minority group caught up in the clashes. A ceasefire mediated by the US, Türkiye and Arab countries mostly held on Thursday, though scattered violence was reported. Syrian state media said Israel also carried out more strikes near the southern Sweida province. Here's a closer look at the main parties in the bloody unrest and why Israel has gotten involved. How did the fighting begin? Syrian government forces were deployed to southern Syria after clashes between Sunni Bedouin clans and Druze militias. ( AP: Ghaith Alsayed ) Syria has been deeply divided since the fall of the Assad regime in December, emerging from decades of dictatorship and nearly 14 years of civil war. Many of the country's religious and ethnic communities are wary of Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was formerly linked to the Al Qaeda terrorist group. Although al-Sharaa has repeatedly vowed to protect minority groups, there have been several rounds of sectarian killings since Islamist rebels ousted al-Assad from power. The latest escalation began on Sunday after members of an armed Bedouin tribe attacked and robbed a local Druze man, according the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). This led to tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks between the Bedouin tribes and the Druze armed factions that controlled large parts of Syria's southern province, Sweida. Syrian government forces intervened on Monday to restore order but were perceived by the Druze as taking the side of Bedouins, drawing them into further clashes with Druze militias. At least 594 people have been killed in Sweida, according to the SOHR monitoring group. Historically, a disagreement over the rightful successor to the Prophet Mohammed after his death in 632 AD led Muslims to be split into two main camps: Sunni and Shia. Click on the cards below to read more on the sectarian groups and state forces involved in the recent clashes and how they're aligned. Bedouins are nomadic Arab tribes, with the majority adhering to Sunni Islam. In Syria, they are mostly distributed along the outskirts of the Sweida province, which is largely controlled by the Druze. In 2000, unrest broke out after a Bedouin killed a Druze man in a land dispute. The former president's forces intervened, shooting Druze protesters. After a 2018 Islamic State group attack on the Druze in Sweida that killed more than 200 people, the Druze accused the Bedouins of helping the militants. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this week's clash began when members of one of the armed Bedouin tribes attacked and robbed a local Druze man. The UK-based monitoring group expressed "deep concern" on Thursday for the displacement of Bedouin families after Druze gunmen besieged neighbourhoods inhabited by civilians. At the same time, Bedouin fighters launched a new offensive in the Sweida province, a Bedouin military commander told Reuters, despite a truce having been announced the previous day. The commander said the truce only applied to Syrian government forces and not to Bedouins. He said the Bedouin fighters were seeking to free Bedouins who had been detained by Druze armed groups in recent days. Shia offshoot: The Druze The Druze are followers of a religion that is a 10th-century offshoot of a branch of Shia Islam. They maintain a degree of secrecy about the practice of their faith, which emphasises monotheism, reincarnation and the pursuit of truth. More than half of the world's 1 million Druze live in Syria, where they control large parts of the southern Sweida province. Most of the other followers live in Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 war. Many Druze serve in the Israeli military, including during the war in Gaza, and some have reached a high rank, meaning their voices cannot be easily ignored by Israel's political leadership. While most Druze in Israel identify as Israeli citizens, more than 20,000 living in the occupied Golan still identify as Syrians and have close ties to family on the other side of the border. Facing calls from Israeli Druze to help Syrian Druze, Israeli leaders have cited protecting them as a reason for attacking Syria repeatedly this year. During Syria's 14-year civil war, the Druze had their own militias, in part to defend against hardline Sunni Muslim militants who considered them heretics. Until this week's clashes, the Druze were split between those who wanted to integrate with the new government and those seeking to maintain autonomy. Reports of attacks on Druze civilians by government-affiliated forces since the latest round of fighting broke out have further alienated many Druze from the new authorities. Sunni: Syrian government Interim President al-Sharaa is the head of Syria's Islamist-led government. He was once an Al Qaeda affiliate before cutting ties with the terrorist group in 2016 and spearheaded the anti-Assad charge in December. Al-Sharaa's hopes of stitching Syria back together are complicated by the country's mix of sectarian and ethnic groups. Sunni Muslims make up the majority of Syria's population of more than 20 million. Its religious minorities include Alawites, Christians, Druze and Shia Muslims. While most Syrians are Arab, the country also has a sizeable ethnic Kurdish minority. Since taking power, al-Sharaa has taken a more moderate tone, preaching coexistence and forming diplomatic ties with Western countries, including the US. But in spite of its assurances, the Syrian government has faced suspicion from minority groups and there have been outbreaks of sectarian violence in recent months. In Sweida this week, al-Sharaa's government forces intervened in the clashes between local Bedouin tribes and Druze militias, but ended up themselves clashing with the Druze. Some government fighters reportedly killed Druze civilians and looted and burned houses. But, in an address on Wednesday, al-Sharaa said protecting Druze citizens and their rights was "our priority" and rejected any attempt to drag them into the hands of an "external party". He also vowed to hold to account those who committed violations against "our Druze people". So, why is Israel striking Syria? Israel claims to have launched the attacks to protect Syria's Druze, who Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as "brothers". The Druze also have a substantial community in Israel and are seen as a loyal minority, often serving in the military. Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes on forces and weapons in the Sweida area because the Syrian government "intended to use them against the Druze". Israel also struck the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Defense in the heart of Damascus. Heidi Prett, a freelance journalist based in Damascus, said both the Israeli and Syrian governments had "taken advantage" of sectarian tensions to advance their own agendas. "For [the Syrian government], it was an opportunity to establish control over another part of the country," she said. "For the Israelis … it provides an opportunity to weaken and destabilise the Syrian government despite the fact it has indicated some willingness and openness to normalising relations with Israel. "The Israeli government really appears to be doing everything it can to undermine that relationship right now." Joshua Landis, the co-director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, said Israel did not trust Syria's interim president. "Israel wants to keep Syria weak and divided," he said. "Israel has complete air dominance over Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and now Iran as well. It does not want to see a powerful Syria emerge as an ally of Türkiye and a potential enemy on its border." Do the Druze want Israel to step in? "They are happy to have Israel at their back, but the problem is, Israel is not really going to move its troops up and protect them," Landis said. The Syria specialist said there was deep mistrust of the new Syrian government among the Druze minority group. "The Druze community is very frightened because in the past, al-Sharaa really mistreated the Druze," he said. In sectarian violence in Syria's coastal region in March, hundreds of people from the Alawite minority were killed by forces aligned to al-Sharaa. "[The Druze] threw out Assad's forces and they've been ruling their own area as an autonomous region for over a year," Landis said. "They don't trust the troops, particularly because in March they massacred [the Alawites]." Spokespeople for Syria's interior and defence ministries did not immediately respond to media questions on whether government forces were responsible for some of the Druze killings in Sweida this week. Still, some Druze activists in the Israeli-occupied Golan told the ABC they questioned the reasons for Israel's intervention in the conflict, saying it was motivated by "hegemony" in the region. Syrian President al-Sharaa accused Israel of using sectarian violence as a pretext to "dismantle the unity of our people". He said Israel had "consistently targeted our stability and created discord among us since the fall of the former regime". How is the world reacting to the Israeli strikes? The United States condemned the violence in Syria and said it was actively engaging all parties there to de-escalate the situation. "The United States did not support recent Israeli strikes," said Tammy Bruce, the US State Department spokesperson. "We are engaging diplomatically with Israel and Syria at the highest levels, both to address the present crisis and reach a lasting agreement between the two sovereign states. "We've been very clear about our displeasure, certainly the president has, and we've worked very quickly to have it stopped." The Syrian Defence Ministry in Damascus was damaged by Israeli air strikes. ( AP: Ghaith Alsayed ) Türkiye, an ally of both the US and Syrian governments, was also part of the mediation efforts over the Sweida violence. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said there had been an attempt to "sabotage the ceasefire that was achieved [on Thursday] with the contributions of our country". He said Israel had shown once again that it did not want peace or stability in the region. "Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has expanded its banditry to Syria," he said. Ten Arab countries joined Türkiye in reaffirming support for Syria's security and stability: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Egypt. They rejected all foreign interference in Syria's affairs. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council met on Thursday to discuss the Israeli strikes. Russia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said "external or internal players" could not be allowed to exploit a fragile situation in Syria by "fermenting ethnic and religious tension". Netanyahu has reiterated Israel's policy to protect the Druze. He said the Syrian government had sent "its army south of Damascus into an area that was supposed to remain demilitarised, and it began massacring Druze". "This was something we could not accept in any way," Netanyahu said, adding: "It is a ceasefire achieved through strength."
Washington Post
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Syrian forces withdraw from Sweida after ceasefire goes into effect
DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian government forces largely withdrew from the southern province of Sweida Thursday following days of vicious clashes with militias of the Druze minority. Under a ceasefire agreement reached the day before, which largely halted the hostilities, Druze factions and clerics have been appointed to maintain internal security in Sweida, Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in an address broadcast early Thursday.
Al Bawaba
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Syrian government forces withdraw from Sweida
Published July 17th, 2025 - 06:47 GMT ALBAWABA - Syrian government forces withdrew from the Druze heartland province of Sweida after days of clashes, AFP reported. It all started when Syrian government forces were dispatched to Sweida on Monday, July 14, to halt fighting between Druze fighters and Bedouin men, and restore peace, but they ended up clashing with the Druze militias, according to France 24. No official casualty figures have been released since Monday, but the Syrian Interior Ministry revealed that at least 30 people were killed in Sweida clashes. However, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that over 250 people had been killed as of Wednesday morning, including four children, five women and 138 soldiers and security forces. المرصد السوري لسكاي نيوز عربية: الفصائل الدرزية تمسك الملف الأمني في السويداء بعد انسحاب كل القوات السورية منها — سكاي نيوز عربية-عاجل (@SkyNewsArabia_B) July 17, 2025 © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
