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Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Syria sectarian clashes left nearly 100 dead; Israel strikes targets to protect Druze
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Syrian security forces take a position near Sweida on July 14 in the predominantly Druze city. DAMASCUS - Syrian government forces were advancing towards the southern city of Sweida on July 14 to quell deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes, with one Druze armed group saying talks with authorities aimed at brokering a truce were underway. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported 99 people killed since the fighting erupted on July 13 – 60 Druze, including four civilians, 18 Bedouin fighters, 14 security personnel and seven unidentified people in military uniforms. As the violence escalated, Israel – which has previously warned it would intervene in Syria to protect the Druze – said it struck 'several tanks' in the area as a 'warning' to Damascus. An AFP correspondent saw Syrian forces on July 14 take control of the Druze village of Al-Mazraa, where Bedouin fighters were also located. A commander, Ezzeddine al-Shamayer, told AFP the forces 'are heading toward Sweida' city. In a statement, the interior ministry declared that 'army and internal security forces have moved closer to the centre' of Sweida province. Mr Bassem Fakhr, spokesperson for the Men of Dignity movement, one of the largest Druze factions in Sweida, told AFP talks were 'underway between the notables of the city of Sweida and representatives of the general security (forces) and the defence ministry to reach a solution'. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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But Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, one of the three Druze spiritual leaders in Sweida, expressed his 'rejection of the entry' of general security forces into the province, demanding 'international protection'. Israel – which also has a Druze population, and has previously attacked Syria in purported defence of the group – reported hitting several tanks heading towards Sweida on July 14. The strikes were 'a clear warning to the Syrian regime – we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria', Defence Minister Israel Katz posted on X. Fear of massacres The fighting in the south underscores the challenges facing interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces ousted president Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war. Syria's pre-war Druze population was estimated at around 700,000, many of them concentrated in Sweida province. The Druze, followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shiite Islam, are mainly found in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Following deadly clashes with government forces in April and May, local and religious leaders reached an agreement with Damascus under which Druze fighters have been providing security in the province since May. The streets of Sweida were deserted on July 14, with an AFP photographer reporting gunfire during funerals. 'We lived in a state of extreme terror – the shells were falling randomly,' said Abu Taym, a 51-year-old father in Sweida. 'Traffic on the streets is paralysed, and most shops are closed.' People carry a man wounded during clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighers in an area between Mazraa and Walga near the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on July 14. PHOTO: AFP 'We fear a repeat of the coastal scenario,' said Amal, 46, referring to the March massacres of over 1,700 mostly Alawite civilians in Syria's coast, where groups affiliated with the government were blamed for most of the killings. 'We are not against the state, but we are against surrendering our weapons without a state that treats everyone the same,' she added, noting that she and her family escaped Sweida to a nearby village. In a post on X, Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra urged his troops to 'protect your fellow citizens' from 'outlaw gangs' and 'restore stability to Sweida'. 'Lack of state institutions' The violence began July 13 when Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor on the highway to Damascus, prompting retaliatory kidnappings. Though hostages were later released, the fighting carried on July 14 outside Sweida city, with mortar fire hitting villages and dozens wounded, according to the Suwayda 24 news outlet. In a post on July 13 on X, Interior Minister Anas Khattab said 'the lack of state, military and security institutions is a major reason' for the ongoing tensions in Sweida. The Observatory said members of Bedouin tribes, who are Sunni Muslims, had sided with security forces during earlier confrontations. Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, and violence occasionally erupts between the two sides.
Al-Ahram Weekly
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Syria government forces take over Druze village in south: AFP - Region
Syrian government forces were advancing toward the southern city of Sweida on Monday after taking control of a Druze village nearby, an AFP correspondent said, on the second day of secterian clashes there. Security forces were deployed in Sweida province following clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes that killed at least 89 people since Sunday. The AFP correspondent saw forces under the Syrian defence ministry deployed in Al-Mazraa village, where Bedouin fighters were also located. The forces continued to advance in the direction of Sweida city. A commander, Ezzeddine al-Shamayer, told AFP the forces "are heading toward Sweida". Druze spiritual leaders called for calm and urged Damascus to intervene. The Israeli army said on Monday that it struck several tanks between the villages of Al-Mazraa and Sami that were heading to Sweida. It claimed that it would not allow the establishment of what it claimed as a "military threat in southern Syria and will operate against it". Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed the Israeli new attack on Syria aimed at preventing the army from reaching the village. The Israeli strikes were "a message and a clear warning to the Syrian regime -- we will not allow harm to be done to the Druze in Syria. Israel will not stand idly by," he wrote on X. The fighting underscores the challenges facing interim Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose Islamist forces ousted president Bashar al-Assad in December. The latest fighting, which began Sunday, continued sporadically into Monday in several villages, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor and the Suwayda 24 news outlet. The clashes reportedly erupted when a Druze vegetable vendor was seized by armed Bedouins on the main highway linking Sweida to Damascus. The incident triggered a series of retaliatory abductions by both sides. Syria's defence and interior ministries announced the deployment of military units to the affected areas, the establishment of safe corridors for civilians, and a commitment to "end the clashes quickly and decisively". Bedouin and Druze factions have a longstanding feud in Sweida, and violence occasionally erupts between the two. A surge in violence in March targeting the Alawite community -- with more than 1,700 killed -- and the subsequent attacks on Druze areas have undermined confidence in the new Syrian authorities' ability to protect minorities. Israel -- which has occupied part of Syria's Golan Heights since 1967 -- cited the protection of the Druze to justify several strikes, including one in early May near the presidential palace in Damascus. Since the ouster of Assad, Israel has carried out numerous strikes in Syria, destroying much of the country's military infrastructure and arsenal. It has also deployed troops into the United Nations-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights, further occupying parts of Syrian land. * This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Roya News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Syrian government forces seize Druze village: AFP
Syrian government forces are moving closer to the city of Suwayda, following their capture of the nearby Druze village of Al-Mazraa, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The reporter observed units affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense positioned inside Al-Mazraa on Monday, continuing their push toward the provincial capital. The military deployment comes amid escalating violence between Druze fighters and Bedouins that has left dozens dead in recent days. A field commander, Ezzeddine al-Shamayer, confirmed the advance, stating, 'We are heading toward Suwayda.' As chaos spread across villages near Suwayda city, the Israeli Occupation announced it had struck "several tanks" in the area, citing its longstanding pledge to intervene in Syria to defend the Druze community. The violence reportedly began on Sunday after Bedouin gunmen abducted a Druze vegetable vendor along the Damascus highway. The kidnapping sparked swift retaliatory abductions and ignited armed confrontations in multiple parts of Suwayda province. Despite hostages being released, the fighting continued into Monday, with mortar rounds hitting several villages. Streets in Suwayda city emptied, shops shuttered, and funerals for the dead were marked by sporadic gunfire.
