Latest news with #Suwayda24
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Clashes Erupt between Local Factions, Armed Tribal Groups in Syria's Suwayda
Intense clashes erupted in southern Syria between local factions in Suwayda province and armed tribal groups from the surrounding countryside, stoking fears of renewed sectarian violence between communities in Suwayda and neighboring Daraa. The fighting broke out in the western countryside of Suwayda, just a day after Druze religious leaders and community elders announced the start of an agreement intended to bring stability to the area. Conflicting reports have emerged about the reasons behind the escalation. Local Telegram channels reported what they called a 'military escalation' as armed Bedouin groups, described as 'outlaws,' were accused of attempting to break a siege around Bedouin-inhabited villages in the western countryside. Mortar exchanges and machine gun fire were reported between the two sides. In particular, the village of Al-Dara, home to Bedouin tribes, was reportedly shelled from the nearby town of Al-Thaala. In response, tribal fighters launched a counteroffensive, leading to clashes that involved the use of heavy weaponry. The independent news outlet Suwayda 24 reported that Al-Thaala itself came under attack from unknown groups firing mortars and machine guns from the western outskirts of the town. The incident triggered a gun battle between local defenders and the attackers. Rumors further fueled tensions, with some claiming that local factions attempted to destroy a mosque and targeted civilian neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Al-Rasid, another outlet covering Suwayda, noted a sharp increase in provocative videos and audio messages alleging that Suwayda factions were besieging tribal areas and setting fire to mosques. Officials have denied these claims. Religious leaders reaffirmed that mosques remained protected by local factions. Despite this, armed groups from eastern Daraa, reportedly not locals, began shelling Suwayda villages. Sources in Daraa told Suwayda 24 that these groups, arriving on motorcycles and in vehicles equipped with mortars and heavy weapons, have been trying to provoke unrest for days. Videos and messages circulated on WhatsApp were allegedly aimed at inciting local communities. The clashes have already had humanitarian consequences. Mortar attacks on villages including Haran, Al-Thaala, Rasas, and Ara resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to eight others. Dozens of families, particularly women and children, have fled to safer areas. Local sources say the violence is a deliberate attempt to sow discord between the Druze and tribal communities. They urged residents of both Suwayda and Daraa to resist incitement and work together to de-escalate the situation. Meanwhile, Syria's Interior Ministry announced the release of 22 detainees from the towns of Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya in Damascus Countryside, stating they were not involved in bloodshed during recent unrest. Separately, the Israeli military announced it had raided and destroyed a former Syrian regime command post on Mount Hermon. Israeli forces reportedly uncovered weapons caches and military infrastructure during the operation and seized the materials.
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
France 'Strongly' Condemns Israel's Gaza Conquest Plan
Clashes Erupt between Local Factions, Armed Tribal Groups in Syria's Suwayda Intense clashes erupted in southern Syria between local factions in Suwayda province and armed tribal groups from the surrounding countryside, stoking fears of renewed sectarian violence between communities in Suwayda and neighboring Daraa. The fighting broke out in the western countryside of Suwayda, just a day after Druze religious leaders and community elders announced the start of an agreement intended to bring stability to the area. Conflicting reports have emerged about the reasons behind the escalation. Local Telegram channels reported what they called a 'military escalation' as armed Bedouin groups, described as 'outlaws,' were accused of attempting to break a siege around Bedouin-inhabited villages in the western countryside. Mortar exchanges and machine gun fire were reported between the two sides. In particular, the village of Al-Dara, home to Bedouin tribes, was reportedly shelled from the nearby town of Al-Thaala. In response, tribal fighters launched a counteroffensive, leading to clashes that involved the use of heavy weaponry. The independent news outlet Suwayda 24 reported that Al-Thaala itself came under attack from unknown groups firing mortars and machine guns from the western outskirts of the town. The incident triggered a gun battle between local defenders and the attackers. Rumors further fueled tensions, with some claiming that local factions attempted to destroy a mosque and targeted civilian neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Al-Rasid, another outlet covering Suwayda, noted a sharp increase in provocative videos and audio messages alleging that Suwayda factions were besieging tribal areas and setting fire to mosques. Officials have denied these claims. Religious leaders reaffirmed that mosques remained protected by local factions. Despite this, armed groups from eastern Daraa, reportedly not locals, began shelling Suwayda villages. Sources in Daraa told Suwayda 24 that these groups, arriving on motorcycles and in vehicles equipped with mortars and heavy weapons, have been trying to provoke unrest for days. Videos and messages circulated on WhatsApp were allegedly aimed at inciting local communities. The clashes have already had humanitarian consequences. Mortar attacks on villages including Haran, Al-Thaala, Rasas, and Ara resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to eight others. Dozens of families, particularly women and children, have fled to safer areas. Local sources say the violence is a deliberate attempt to sow discord between the Druze and tribal communities. They urged residents of both Suwayda and Daraa to resist incitement and work together to de-escalate the situation. Meanwhile, Syria's Interior Ministry announced the release of 22 detainees from the towns of Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya in Damascus Countryside, stating they were not involved in bloodshed during recent unrest. Separately, the Israeli military announced it had raided and destroyed a former Syrian regime command post on Mount Hermon. Israeli forces reportedly uncovered weapons caches and military infrastructure during the operation and seized the materials.
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hamas Says No Point in Further Gaza Truce Talks
Clashes Erupt between Local Factions, Armed Tribal Groups in Syria's Suwayda Intense clashes erupted in southern Syria between local factions in Suwayda province and armed tribal groups from the surrounding countryside, stoking fears of renewed sectarian violence between communities in Suwayda and neighboring Daraa. The fighting broke out in the western countryside of Suwayda, just a day after Druze religious leaders and community elders announced the start of an agreement intended to bring stability to the area. Conflicting reports have emerged about the reasons behind the escalation. Local Telegram channels reported what they called a 'military escalation' as armed Bedouin groups, described as 'outlaws,' were accused of attempting to break a siege around Bedouin-inhabited villages in the western countryside. Mortar exchanges and machine gun fire were reported between the two sides. In particular, the village of Al-Dara, home to Bedouin tribes, was reportedly shelled from the nearby town of Al-Thaala. In response, tribal fighters launched a counteroffensive, leading to clashes that involved the use of heavy weaponry. The independent news outlet Suwayda 24 reported that Al-Thaala itself came under attack from unknown groups firing mortars and machine guns from the western outskirts of the town. The incident triggered a gun battle between local defenders and the attackers. Rumors further fueled tensions, with some claiming that local factions attempted to destroy a mosque and targeted civilian neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Al-Rasid, another outlet covering Suwayda, noted a sharp increase in provocative videos and audio messages alleging that Suwayda factions were besieging tribal areas and setting fire to mosques. Officials have denied these claims. Religious leaders reaffirmed that mosques remained protected by local factions. Despite this, armed groups from eastern Daraa, reportedly not locals, began shelling Suwayda villages. Sources in Daraa told Suwayda 24 that these groups, arriving on motorcycles and in vehicles equipped with mortars and heavy weapons, have been trying to provoke unrest for days. Videos and messages circulated on WhatsApp were allegedly aimed at inciting local communities. The clashes have already had humanitarian consequences. Mortar attacks on villages including Haran, Al-Thaala, Rasas, and Ara resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to eight others. Dozens of families, particularly women and children, have fled to safer areas. Local sources say the violence is a deliberate attempt to sow discord between the Druze and tribal communities. They urged residents of both Suwayda and Daraa to resist incitement and work together to de-escalate the situation. Meanwhile, Syria's Interior Ministry announced the release of 22 detainees from the towns of Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya in Damascus Countryside, stating they were not involved in bloodshed during recent unrest. Separately, the Israeli military announced it had raided and destroyed a former Syrian regime command post on Mount Hermon. Israeli forces reportedly uncovered weapons caches and military infrastructure during the operation and seized the materials.
The National
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Israel carried out strike on 'extremists' preparing to attack Druze in Syria
The Israeli military has carried out a warning strike against 'extremists' preparing to attack members of Syria's Druze minority in a Damascus suburb, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. The strike followed an overnight attack on Druze areas of Sahnaya, a large suburb of the Syrian capital, by militants from the nearby areas of Hajar Al Aswad, Mouaddamiyeh and Balbila. Parts of the southern province of Suweida, the sect's ancestral home, also came under assault from gunmen in nearby Deraa, in the biggest threat to the ancient minority since Bashar Al Assad Hayat Tahrir Al Sham took power last year. The group led the rebel offensive that toppled president Bashar Al Assad in December and formed the current government. Mr Netanyahu said in a joint statement with Defence Minister Israel Katz that the Israeli military 'carried out a warning operation and attacked an extremist group that was organising to continue attacking the Druze population in the town'. 'A serious message was also conveyed to the Syrian regime – Israel expects it to act to prevent harm to the Druze,' they said. An official from HTS said Israeli drones struck Sahnaya and its surroundings several times. A car and a security position were among the targets, he said, without elaborating. Israel's military later said that troops had been instructed to hit "targets belonging to the Syrian regime" if violence against Druze communities continues. Syrian state news agency Sana confirmed that Israeli strikes had taken place in the Sahnaya area. The Israeli military also said three wounded members of the Druze community had been "evacuated from Syria" for treatment in Israel, without explaining how. A statement from Syria's Foreign Ministry rejected all forms of "foreign intervention" in its affairs. The areas around Sahnaya are controlled by former rebel brigades allied with HTS. A delegation comprised of senior members of the Druze spiritual leadership met with the government late on Wednesday, and reached a general ceasefire agreement, according to Suwayda 24, a network of citizen journalists, but the hostilities have continued. The organisation said that attacks against Druze civilians and looting of Druze property were continuing in the area and in the south of the country. The state's official news agency reported that an 'initial ceasefire' was reached. . The Interior Ministry said 16 people were killed in 'the targeting of civilians and security forces by outlaw groups' in the suburb, and that reinforcements had been sent to the area. Hussam Al Tahhan, a local police official, said that several parties had intervened to try to stop the bloodshed but failed, without naming them. Suwayda 24 said that electricity has been cut off in the province as villages and town come attack by militants firing mortar rounds from Deraa. Clashes were reported in several areas of Suwayda and at least one man was killed in an ambush on the road between Suweida city and Damascus. Insults circulated on social media against the Druze, and Druze students have been either evacuated from or forced out of university campuses across the country. Lebanese Druze leader Walid Joumblatt, who had opened a channel with the new government as soon as Mr Al Assad was toppled, said Israel is trying to "use" the Druze to create sectarian strife in Syria but that the authorities in Damascus should start a transparent investigation into the killings. Turkey meanwhile said the violence should be ended by "dialogue and common sense". It said Israeli strikes were "harming efforts for unity and integrity in Syria". Clashes killed 12 people in another Druze-populated Damascus suburb on Tuesday. The attack on Jaramana by HTS-affiliated militias came amid anger over a video showing a Druze leader appearing to criticise the Prophet Mohammed. The government later said the video was fake. Eight of the dead in the two attacks were members of the Druze community, which Israel vowed to defend after HTS-affiliated forces attacked Jaramana in early March. Rayyan Maarouf, a researcher at the Suwayda 24 network said the dead in Sahnaya included a Druze fighter who was defending the area and a Druze civilian, as well as 10 members of the attacking forces drawn from militant brigades based in towns on the outskirts of Damascus. Mr Maarouf said that although Syria's Druze are not pro-Israel, the Israeli intervention could deter pro-government forces from further attacks. President Ahmad Al Shara is seeking to consolidate the new government's control over the country in the face of resistance from minorities. At least 1,300 members of the Alawite sect, mainly civilians, were killed in their coastal heartland on March 8 and March 9 as state security forces and allied militias responded to attacks by Assad loyalists. Druze representatives agreed to integrate the sect's militias into the state forces in a deal signed on March 10. Another deal with the country's more powerful Kurds stalled after their representatives called for decentralisation of power. 'This is not the way to apply political pressure. It could result in massacres,' Mr Maarouf told The National by phone from Suweida city, pointing to the continued killing of Alawites. The minority sect, to which the former president belongs, dominated Sunni-majority Syria during more than five decades of Assad family rule. The Sunni political ascendancy after the overthrow of Mr Al Assad has changed Middle Eastern power dynamics to the disadvantage of Shiite-majority Iran and Russia, the main backers of the former regime. The Druze are a transnational minority of about one million people, present mainly in Syria, Israel, Lebanon and Jordan. In Syria they are concentrated on the southern outskirts of Damascus and the southern province of Suweida, near the border with Jordan. The sect's main focus has been survival amid rise of religious forces in the region, although those in Syria staged a civil disobedience movement against Mr Al Assad for more than a year before the rebel offensive forced him to flee the country. 'The Druze could use even intervention from devils now,' Mr Maarouf said. 'They are afraid that what occurred on the coast will happen to them. It is very regrettable that the government is supporting an assault on a whole sect.' A member of the inner circle of Sheikh Hikmat Al Hijri, the spiritual leader of Syrian Druze, declined to comment on the attacks in Sahnaya and Jaramana but said the government could easily have prevented militants from gathering around the two suburbs. Sheikh Hikmat has criticised the new government as being led by 'extremists' and has opened channels with Israel in a quest for protection. Over the past month, the government has recruited hundreds of Druze from Suweida to its new security troops. Druze militias loyal to Sheikh Hikmat have responded by raising their presence in the streets of Suweida, and patrolling the province's borders, residents said.
Malay Mail
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Who are the Druze, the secretive Syrian Muslim sect dragged into conflict amid regime change and Israeli attacks?
BEIRUT, May 1 — Syria's small Druze community largely kept out of the country's long civil war but since president Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December it has found itself confronting the new Islamist-led government amid military intervention by Israel. Here is a profile of the religious minority which has been caught up in deadly clashes with armed groups linked to the government in recent days. Secretive minority The Druze community accounted for around three percent of Syria's pre-war population of 23 million, or around 700,000 people. They are concentrated in the southern province of Sweida with smaller pockets around Damascus. Druze are monotheistic and considered Muslim, but the sect is otherwise highly secretive and does not accept converts. They are viewed with suspicion by Sunni Islamist groups, who count among the ranks of Syria's new government whose roots are in the Al-Qaeda jihadist network. In Israel and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, there are around 150,000 Druze. Most of those in Israel hold Israeli citizenship and serve in the military. By contrast, most of the roughly 23,000 who live in the annexed Golan do not hold Israeli citizenship and still identify as Syrians. Some 200,000 Druze live in Lebanon. Members of Syria's Druze community wave flags and chant slogans during the funeral of seven people killed during overnight clashes with Syrian security forces, in Damascus, on April 30, 2025. — AFP pic Civil war Syria's Druze largely stayed on the sidelines of the civil war which erupted in 2011 after Assad brutally repressed anti-government protests. Druze forces focused on defending their heartland from attacks and largely avoided conscription into the Syrian armed forces. Sweida province saw more than a year of anti-government protests before Assad's ouster. The Druze formed their own armed groups during the war. Some have begun negotiations with Damascus on integration into the new national army, following similar moves by armed factions elsewhere. Rayan Maarouf, chief editor of local news outlet Suwayda24, said some 400 Druze fighters had joined the defence ministry's forces and around 500 others had joined the General Security agency. Druze women await the arrival of visitng Druze dignitaries fom Syria in a bus through a border barrier guarded by Israeli soldiers, near the village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on April 25, 2025. — AFP pic Post-Assad Assad hails from Syria's Alawite community and as president sought to present himself as protector of all minority groups against the Islamist-led rebels. The new government has repeatedly sought to reassure minorities that they will be protected. But last month saw sectarian massacres in the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast and this week several dozen people, including Druze fighters, have been killed in sectarian clashes near Damascus. Since Assad's ouster, Israel has increased its overtures to the Druze, voicing support for the minority and mistrust of Syria's new leaders, whose forces it considers jihadists. The Israeli government has said it has sent thousands of humanitarian aid packages to Syria's Druze community in recent months. Two delegations of Druze clerics have made pilgrimages to a holy site in Israel despite the continuing state of war between the two countries half a century after a 1974 armistice. In March, Israel warned Syria's new authorities not to harm the Druze, after clashes in a Damascus suburb. Druze leaders rejected the warning and declared their loyalty to a united Syria. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military 'carried out a warning action and struck the organisation of an extremist group preparing to attack the Druze population' near Damascus. 'A stern message was conveyed to the Syrian regime -- Israel expects them to act to prevent harm to the Druze community,' the statement from the Israeli premier's office added. Armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir ordered the military to prepare to strike Syrian government targets if the Druze community faces more violence. — AFP
