Renewed Clashes in Southern Syria's Sweida Province

Damascus, Syria, July 18 (AP) — Renewed clashes erupted overnight between armed Druze factions and Bedouin clan members in southern Syria's Sweida province. Government forces are set to redeploy to the area by Friday following their earlier withdrawal under a ceasefire agreement, officials reported.

According to two Syrian officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, government security forces reached an understanding with some Druze factions to re-enter the province to re-establish stability and safeguard state institutions.

Previously, the government forces had retreated from the predominantly Druze province after intense confrontations with Druze-linked militias. These clashes were posing a threat to Syria's delicate post-war recovery.

This conflict drew a sharp response from neighboring Israel, which conducted airstrikes against Syrian targets to protect the Druze minority. Most hostilities paused after a truce was announced on Wednesday, mediated by the U.S., Turkey, and several Arab nations. As stipulated by the agreement, Druze factions and clerics were assigned the role of maintaining internal security in Sweida, according to Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

The initial skirmishes began last Sunday between Druze militias and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes. Government forces subsequently intervened, siding with the Bedouins against the Druze. The conflict claimed hundreds of lives over a four-day span, with allegations of government-affiliated fighters executing Druze civilians and looting homes.

Israel took action by launching numerous airstrikes on government convoys and striking the Syrian Defense Ministry headquarters in Damascus, sharply intensifying its involvement in the conflict.

The Druze community has a significant presence in Israel, viewed as a loyal minority often serving in the Israeli military.

Although a ceasefire was declared and government forces withdrew, clashes reignited between Druze and Bedouin groups in parts of Sweida province. State media reported that Druze militias initiated revenge attacks on Bedouin communities, resulting in a wave of displacement.

The Druze sect, originating as a 10th-century offshoot of Ismailism—a branch of Shiite Islam—counts over half of its approximate 1 million members residing in Syria. The rest primarily live in Lebanon and Israel, including the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981.

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)