5 days ago
New clashes erupt in Syria's Druze stronghold as Bedouin reinforcements arrive
WALGHA, SYRIA: Armed tribal fighters backed by Syria's Islamist-led interim government clashed with Druze forces on Friday (Jul 18) in the southern province of Sweida, a day after the army withdrew under Israeli bombardment and US-led diplomatic pressure.
The renewed violence raised fresh doubts over interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's control, as he struggles to manage rising unrest among Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, including Kurds in the northeast and Alawites along the Mediterranean coast.
The United Nations condemned the bloodshed, urging an 'independent' investigation into the unrest, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said has killed nearly 600 people since fighting erupted on Sunday.
HOSPITALS OVERWHELMED
In Sweida National Hospital, bodies were stacked in refrigerated storage units as the morgue reached capacity. A small team of exhausted doctors and nurses treated the wounded in crowded hallways, AFP reported.
'We have received more than 400 bodies since Monday morning,' said Dr Omar Obeid, president of the Sweida branch of the Order of Physicians. 'There is no more room in the morgue, the bodies are in the street.'
TRIBAL FIGHTERS DEPLOY
Tribal fighters from across Syria were seen arriving in villages around Sweida on Friday, responding to calls for help from local Bedouin amid a deepening feud with the Druze community.
Anas al-Enad, a tribal chief from Hama, said he travelled to the village of Walgha to support the Bedouin. An AFP correspondent saw burning shops and homes in the village, now under tribal control.
The UK-based Observatory said the government had facilitated the movement of tribal reinforcements, as Syrian troops are barred from entering Sweida under a security arrangement brokered with Israel.
ISRAEL SENDS HUMANITARIAN AID
Israel, which bombed military sites in Sweida and Damascus earlier this week, said on Friday it was delivering emergency aid to the Druze population in Sweida.
'In light of the recent attacks targeting the Druze community and the severe humanitarian situation, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has ordered the urgent transfer of aid,' Israel's foreign ministry said.
The aid package, worth two million shekels (nearly US$600,000), includes food parcels and medical supplies.
A ceasefire was meant to take effect on Thursday, but Sharaa's office accused Druze fighters of violating the truce. The fighting has heavily damaged infrastructure, leaving Sweida's residents without water, electricity, or communication.
UN DEMANDS INQUIRY
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said nearly 2,000 families have been displaced by the violence.
'The humanitarian situation is catastrophic. We cannot find milk for children,' said Rayan Maarouf, editor-in-chief of local news outlet Suwayda 24.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk demanded a halt to the violence and called for 'independent, prompt and transparent investigations into all violations.'
'Those responsible must be held to account,' Turk said.
TRIGGERED BY KIDNAPPING
The latest unrest began on Sunday after a Druze vegetable merchant was kidnapped by local Bedouin, triggering retaliatory abductions and escalating into armed conflict, according to the Observatory.
While the army was deployed to restore order, witnesses and monitors said the troops sided with the Bedouin and committed abuses against Druze civilians.
The interim government, which ousted Bashar al-Assad in December, has faced criticism for failing to build inclusive ties with Syria's minority communities.
