Sweida

19 Druze Civilians Shot Dead by Syrian Government Forces

A monitoring group said Syrian government forces killed 19 Druze civilians when they stormed a family's guest house in Sweida city on Tuesday. "Members of the defense and interior ministries carried out field executions of 19 citizens after storming the Radwan family guest house in the city of Sweida," said the Syrian Observatory ...

Ceasefire Talks Underway After Southern Syria Clashes, Says Druze Group

Negotiations are underway between Syrian authorities and Druze representatives in southern Syria to halt the fighting that has left around 100 people dead, one of the main Druze armed groups told AFP on Monday evening. Syrian government forces are advancing toward the city of Sweida, held by Druze fighters, following clashes since Sunday with ...

Almost 100 Killed as Syria Sectarian Clashes Rage

Syrian government forces were advancing towards the southern city of Sweida on Monday amid clashes in the region between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes that have killed nearly 100 people, according to a war monitor. As the violence escalated, Israel, which had previously warned that it would intervene in Syria to protect the Druze, said it ...

Violence Surges in Sweida: Syria Grapples with Sectarian Strife

The Syrian province of Sweida, home to a Druze majority, is once again gripped by sectarian violence. Deadly clashes between members of Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters have left at least 89 people dead since Sunday, according to the latest toll from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Hundreds more have been wounded, including ...

SOHR: 89 Killed as Clashes Rage in Southern Syria

At least 89 people were killed in the southern Syrian province of Sweida as clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters raged for a second day Monday, a monitor said. As the violence escalated, Israel, which had previously warned that it would intervene in Syria to protect the Druze, said it struck "several tanks" in Sweida, without ...

Joumblatt Calls for Calm in Sweida Under Government Authority

As deadly clashes continue in Syria’s Druze-majority province of Sweida between Bedouin militias and armed Druze groups, former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt called on Monday for a political de-escalation under the authority of the Syrian government. In a statement to An-Nahar newspaper, Joumblatt expressed hope for “the ...

Preliminary Agreement Reached Between Sweida and Damascus

Discussions between leading figures of the Druze community in Sweida and the new Syrian administration have reportedly resulted in a tacit agreement for the Druze to integrate into the new Syrian state, according to Lebanese daily An-Nahar. Syrian writer and researcher Jamal al-Shoufi revealed to An-Nahar an “attempt to unify ranks by community ...

Joy and Apprehension Among Syria’s Druze Community

Like everywhere else in Syria, the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s totalitarian regime was acclaimed with joy and celebrations in the predominantly Druze southern province of Sweida. While they have historically been close to the regime, the esoteric minority Druze community, making up some 3 to 4% of Syria’s ...