Latest news with #SyrianTribalCouncil
Al Bawaba
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
What's the current situation in Sweida, Syria?
ALBAWABA - The Syrian Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Saturday evening that all tribal fighters have left the city of Sweida, adding that clashes within the city's neighborhoods have stopped, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. Ministry of Interior spokesperson Noureddine Al-Baba added in a statement: "After intensive efforts by the Ministry of Interior to implement the ceasefire agreement, following the deployment of its forces in the northern and western regions of Sweida Governorate, the city of Sweida has been evacuated of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city's neighborhoods have ceased." Tribal forces pull out of Sweida, fighting halted: The Syrian Tribal Council confirmed the withdrawal of all its fighters from Sweida city in implementation of the presidency's directives regarding the ceasefire agreement, Alikhbaria Syria channel mentioned. During Saturday clashes between local Druze factions, Syrian Ministry of Defense personnel, and Bedouin militants in the countryside of Sweida Governorate, at least 181 Druze were killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory said 25 members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, Public Security, and Bedouin militants were killed on July 19. Earlier on Saturday, the Syrian presidency revealed a new deal with local factions that includes a "comprehensive and immediate ceasefire" in Sweida. The presidency warned that any violation of this agreement constitutes a "clear violation of national sovereignty and will be met with the necessary legal measures in accordance with the constitution and applicable laws." Druze fighters pushed out rival armed factions from Syria's southern city of Sweida on Saturday, a monitor said, after the government ordered a ceasefire following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military — AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 19, 2025 On the other hand, Syria's Deputy Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Ahmed Quraiz, announced early Saturday morning that Hamza Al-Amarin, the director of the Civil Defense Center in Sweida, had been kidnapped, and his fate is unknown. Quraiz revealed that the director of the Civil Defense Center in Sweida had attempted to enter an area to evacuate a United Nations team, but he disappeared.
Al Bawaba
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Flashpoint Sweida: Government Gears up as clashes rage between tribes and militias
ALBAWABA - There were fierce fights in and around the city of Sweida in southern Syria between clan fighters and armed groups that the government called "outlaws." This led the Syrian Interior Ministry to call for immediate help. According to reports in the area, tribal troops moved into some parts of Sweida before pulling back early Friday morning. They then regrouped around the city to wait for help from other tribe areas in Syria. The violence got worse after attacks on Bedouin villages made things worse. As the leader of Syria's Tribal and Clans Council, Sheikh Abdul Moneim Al-Nassif called for all tribes to rush to Sweida to "rescue civilians" from what he called a killing of local Bedouins. As a result, the Interior Ministry has started to send in troops to restore order and protect the people living there, according to a Syrian security source who stated that they had received requests from people in the province. Tribal fighters had earlier started a counteroffensive in western rural Sweida, retaking towns like Taara, Al-Dour, and Al-Mazraa. This was done in response to claims that Druze armed groups attacked Bedouins after the government pulled its troops out. According to state media, illegal groups attacked the Maqous neighborhood, which was home to Bedouin families. They killed and hurt many citizens, including women and children. Bedouins' homes and neighborhoods were also set on fire. Along with the over 500 families who have left their homes because of violence and damage, more than 1,000 Bedouin people are said to be being held in the town of Shahba. Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, a well-known Druze imam, asked the Syrian government to send in military troops to stop more killing. He said in a video message that no one group should be blamed for the bloodshed and that unity and tolerance were very important. Syria troops quit Druze heartland after violence leaves over 500 dead. The city of Sweida was desolate on Thursday, AFP correspondents on the ground report, with shops looted, homes burnt and bodies in the streetshttps://
