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New York Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Truce Quiets Syrian City Torn by Sectarian Clashes
A cease-fire has brought calm to the city of Sweida in southwestern Syria over the past few days after a wave of sectarian violence, but clashes continued in the surrounding countryside as recently as the weekend. The atmosphere remains tense, with shortages of electricity and water and long lines for bread in the city, according to public statements from local officials and residents and an aid worker reached by telephone. The latest conflict began in mid-July with clashes between two local groups — the Bedouins and the Druse. During five days of intense fighting, the government made a short attempt to intervene. Its forces soon became embroiled in fighting the Druse militias, who are themselves divided but hold sway over much of Sweida Province. Israel then launched airstrikes and said it was acting in defense of the Druse, forcing the government to withdraw its troops from much of the province. When the worst was over, more than 1,000 people were dead, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, a nongovernmental organization. About 175,000 people were displaced, the U.N. office for humanitarian affairs said. A majority of those killed seemed to have been combatants, government soldiers and others, according to figures recorded by rights organizations. Two human rights groups have said that at least 80 to 100 civilians were among those killed. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
LBCI
18-07-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Bloodshed in Syria's Sweida left at least 321 people dead: Human rights group
Bloodshed in Sweida left at least 321 people dead, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said on Friday, in a new toll. A Syrian minister said that the government has recovered 87 bodies, but he did not indicate if it was the entire toll from recent violence between Bedouin tribes and the Druze minority in and around the city in the south of the country.
Reuters
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
UN refugee agency concerned about impact of Sweida hostilities on aid operations
GENEVA, July 18 (Reuters) - The United Nations refugee agency expressed concern on Friday about the impact of hostilities in Syria's southern city of Sweida on its aid operations, and urged all sides to allow more humanitarian access. Syria's government sent troops this week to the predominantly Druze city to quell fighting between Bedouins and Druze, but the violence grew until a fragile ceasefire took hold. "The situation in Sweida is very concerning. It is very difficult for us to operate there ... at the moment our capacity to deliver aid is very limited," William Spindler, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, told reporters in Geneva. "We are calling on all parties to allow humanitarian access," he said. The Syrian Network for Human Rights, an independent monitoring group, said it had documented 254 people killed in four days of fighting, including medical personnel, women and children. The UNHCR said its operations had been impacted by road closures and that it had had to move all 15 staff members in its office in rural Sweida out of the area because of safety concerns. The U.N. estimated on Thursday that about 2,000 families had been displaced from areas affected by violence in Sweida Province. The UNHCR said this number was continuing to rise. "At the moment our capacity to deliver aid is very limited. We are calling on all parties to allow humanitarian access," Spindler said. The UNHCR also said it was challenging to support people in displacement centres established by the authorities. Needs on the ground are considerable, the UNHCR said, with water in short supply and hospitals overwhelmed by the number of injured needing treatment. "They need things like blankets and solar have that in stock and are ready to deliver them as soon as the security allows it," Spindler said.
